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Students in the program must meet all course outcomes and satisfactorily demonstrate all of the below essential abilities and characteristics in order to participate in all aspects of nursing education and successfully complete the program. These include, but are not limited to, the following competencies:

Mental/Emotional

Possesses the mental and emotional stability to adapt to the environment, function in everyday activities, and cope with stressors.

Exemplar: Demonstrates behaviors appropriate to the situation and uses appropriate coping strategies.

Sensory

Possesses the ability to assess and/or evaluate patient responses and to perform nursing interventions safely and accurately. Every student must have the following particular sensory capabilities:

Visual

• Has normal or corrected vision within the range of 20/20-20/80.
• Distinguishes color shades and/or when color shades change.

Exemplar: Observes patient responses, and the appearance of wounds; recognizes changes in skin color or color of body fluids, medications, etc.; distinguishes gradation on syringes when drawing up medications.

Auditory

• Has normal or corrected hearing ability within the 0-45 decibel range.

Exemplar: Hears alarms, emergency signals, cries for help, and auscultatory sounds.

Tactile

• Possesses, in at least one hand, the ability to perceive temperature changes and pulsations and to distinguish different textures.

Exemplar: Performs functions of physical assessment and/or functions related to therapeutic interventions (e.g., insertion of catheters or IVs).

Motor

• Possesses the physical abilities to perform the physical manipulations and diagnostic procedures that are part of a complete nursing practice and diverse clinical experience.

Exemplar: Moves among patient rooms and treatment areas; maneuver in small spaces; moves physical patients; performs CPR; calibrates and uses equipment; dons personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Possesses physical abilities that allow the student to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces.
• Possesses gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
• Possesses the ability to occasionally exert 25-50 lbs. of force, 10-25 lbs. of force frequently, and negligible to 10 lbs. of force constantly to move objects.

Exemplar: Positions and moves patients and equipment.

• Possesses communication abilities sufficient for appropriate and effective interactions with others in both oral and written form.

Exemplar: Explains treatment procedures; initiates health teachings; documents nursing actions and patient responses.

• Possesses interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact appropriately and effectively with individuals, families, and groups from diverse backgrounds.

Exemplar: Establishes rapport with patients and colleagues.

• Possesses critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment.

Exemplar: Identifies cause and effect relationships; develops and evaluates plan of care; appropriately evaluations situations and promotes patient safety.

• Applies principles of logic and applies evidence-based practice to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Interprets and implements a variety of technical instructions. Deals with several abstract and concrete variables.

Exemplar: Performs practical application of fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion measurements, and other relevant scientific principles and mathematical calculations.