Student Essential Technical Standards 

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students must be, with or without reasonable accommodations, physically and mentally capable of performing the essential technical standards of the program. If a student believes that he or she cannot meet one or more of the standards without accommodations or modifications, the Nursing program will determine, on an individual basis, whether or not the necessary accommodations or modifications can reasonably be made. The following Essential Technical Standards identify essential eligibility requirements for participation in the Nursing programs at SFSC:

Work Hours:

1. Able to work multiple 8- to 12-hour days per week at hospital sites

Work Environment:

1. Exposure to hazardous material and blood-borne pathogens requiring safety
   equipment such as masks, head coverings, glasses, rubber and latex gloves, etc.
2. Must be able to meet hospital and College performance standards
3. Must travel to and from training site

Cognitive Abilities:

1. Understand and work from written and verbal orders
2. Possess effective verbal and written communication skills
3. Understand and be able to implement related regulations and hospital policies and
   procedures
4. Possess technical competency in patient care and related areas
5. Perform calculations to determine correct dosage or flow rate
6. Speak to individuals and small groups
7. Conduct personal appraisals and counsel patients and families

The nursing student’s healthcare practitioner will verify that the student can meet the
physical demands and perform these physical activities:

Physical Demands:

1. Standing and/or walking continuously, during all phases of patient care
2. Bending, crouching, or stooping several times per hour (e.g., emptying catheter
   drainage bags, checking chest tube containers, positioning of wheelchair foot
   supports, during bath, during dressing changes, during feeding catheterizations, etc.)
3. Lifting, frequently, with weight ranging from 100-300 pounds (approximately),
   rarely 300+ pounds (lifting should always be done with help)
4. Reaching, frequently overhead, above the shoulder at 90 degrees (e.g., during
   bathing, manipulating IV equipment, obtaining supplies, transferring patient into or
   out of bed, etc.)
5. Twisting, frequently (e.g., transferring patients from chair to bed, feeding patients,
   performing some sterile procedures, etc.
6. Pulling patients, objects, and equipment, frequently, with up to 45 pounds of effort (e.g.,
   positioning patients in bed, during transfer to and from gurneys, wheelchairs,
   commodes, etc.)
7. Utilizing eyesight to observe patients, manipulate equipment and accessories, and/or
   evaluate radiographs for technical quality under various illumination levels (i.e.,
   illumination varies from low levels of illumination to amber/red lighting to bright light
   levels)
8. Hearing to communicate with the patient and healthcare team
9. Utilizing sufficient verbal and written skills to effectively and promptly
   communicate with the patient and healthcare team
10. Manipulating medical equipment and accessories, including, but not limited to,
    switches, knobs, buttons, and keyboards, utilizing fine and gross motor skills (e.g.,
    preparing and administering medications, utilizing medication delivery systems with
    or without scanning devices, setting up and monitoring IV equipment such as infusion
    pumps (40 pounds of effort), cardiovascular hemodynamic equipment (40 pounds of
    effort), suction equipment (30 pounds of effort), performing dressing changes and other
    procedures, manipulating oxygen equipment, and various other items ranging from
    2-40 pounds of effort)
11. Performing the assigned training related tasks/skills responsibilities with the
    intellectual and emotional function necessary to ensure patient safety and exercise
    independent judgment and discretion

Upon admission, a candidate who discloses a disability and requests accommodation will be asked to provide documentation of his or her disability for the purpose of determining appropriate accommodations, including modification to the program. The College will provide reasonable accommodations, but is not required to make modifications that would substantially alter the nature or requirements of the program or provide auxiliary aids that present an undue burden to the College. To matriculate or continue in the curriculum, the candidate must be able to perform all the essential functions outlined in the Technical Standards either with or without accommodation.