Technical Standards for Health Occupational Programs

Standard: Sufficient critical thinking and cognitive abilities in classroom and clinical settings

Examples: Make safe, immediate, well reasoned clinical judgments. Identify cause/effect relationships in all clinical situations and respond appropriately. Utilize the scientific method and current standards of evidence based medicine/practice (EBM) to plan, prioritize, and implement patient care. Evaluate effectiveness of health related interventions. Accurately follow course syllabi, assignments, directions, academic and facility patient protocols, and any action plan(s) developed by the dean, faculty, administration, or healthcare institution. Measure, calculate, reason, analyze and/or synthesize data as it applies to patient care and medication administration.

Standard: Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interaction with a diverse population of individuals, families and groups

Examples: Establish effective, professional, relationships with clients, families, staff and colleagues with varied socioeconomic, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Capacity to engage in successful conflict resolution. Capacity to comply with all ethical and legal standards, including those of the healthcare profession and the corresponding policies of the College and Clinical Placements Facilities. Ability to relate to clients, families, staff and colleagues with honesty, integrity, and non-discrimination. Ability to self regulate behavior and maintain composure during stressful or sensitive care of clients in all areas of the healthcare environment. Respond appropriately to constructive criticism. Effectively work independently and cooperatively in team situations. Displays attributes of professionalism such as: integrity, honesty, responsibility, accountability, altruism, compassion, empathy, trust, tolerance, and unbiased attitudes.

Standard: Communication sufficient for professional interactions

Examples: Explanation of treatment, procedure, initiation of health teaching (e.g. teach-back or show-me method). Accurately obtain information from clients, family members/significant others, health team members, and/or faculty. Documentation and interpretation of health related interventions and client responses. Read, write, interpret, comprehend, and legibly document in multiple formats using standard English. To relay accurate and thorough information in oral, written, and electronic forms for continuity of care with all health care team members appropriately. Communicate in a courteous, non-aggressive, non-defensive manner with instructors, peers, staff, patients and health care team members.

Standard: Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces

Examples: Functional movement about patient's room, workspaces, and treatment areas. Administer rescue procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The physical ability to transition quickly to accommodate patient needs and to maneuver easily in urgent situations for client safety.

Standard: Gross and fine motor abilities which are sufficiently effective and safe for providing Allied Health Car

Examples: Ability to effectively calibrate and use equipment. Strength to carry out patient care procedures, such as assisting in the turning and lifting/transferring of patients. Perform and/or assist with expected procedures, treatments, and medication administration using appropriate sterile or clean technique (for example, medication administration, CPR, insertion of catheters). Physical endurance sufficient to complete all required tasks during the assigned period of clinical practice, including the physical and mental demands of a 12-hour clinical shift. To physically be able to control falls by slowly lowering patient to floor. Lift or move (turn, position) clients or objects, pull or push objects weighing up to 35 pounds to accommodate client care needs.

Standard: Auditory and visual ability sufficient for observing, monitoring and assessing health needs

Examples: Ability to detect monitoring device alarm and other emergency signals. Ability to discern sounds and cries for help. Ability to observe client's condition and responses to treatments. Ability to collect information through listening, seeing, smelling, and observation and respond appropriately. Ability to detect foul odors, smoke, changes in skin temperature, skin texture, edema, and other anatomical abnormalities.

Standard: Ability to sufficiently make observations in a health care environment, consistent with program competencies

Examples: Accurate interpretation of information obtained from digital, analog, and waveform diagnostic tools such as temperatures, blood pressures, and cardiac rhythms as well as diagnostic tools that monitor or obtain physiological phenomena with client care. Observation and interpretation of the following: client heart and body sounds, body language; color of wounds, drainage, urine, feces, expectoration; sensitivity to heat, cold, pain and pressure; and signs and symptoms of disease, pain, and infection.

Standard: Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment

Examples: Ability to palpate in physical examinations and various therapeutic interventions. To detect temperature changes, and feel vibrations (pulses) and palpate veins for cannulation.