The student must demonstrate cognitive abilities necessary and sufficient for the provision of safe and effective nursing care. Examples of required cognitive abilities are listed below. This list is not all-inclusive. The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Receive and interpret information in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. The student must be able to remember information, reproduce it, and use it to solve problems, evaluate work, and develop new ways of processing and categorizing information as stated in course objectives.
• Perform physical assessments of clients and make sound, responsible, evidence-based decisions related to nursing action within given time constraints.
• Appropriately and effectively synthesize data from various persons, charts, reports, and medical histories and observe the status of the client to intentionally recommend or maintain interventions.
• Resolve practical problems and address a variety of variables in conditions where there is limited standardization.
• Differentiate and prioritize nursing care among multiple clients and situations simultaneously.
• Accurately assess clients using monitors and equipment (including cardiac monitors, electronic infusion devices, suction devices, glucometers, etc.).
• Apply the scientific process and methods of measurement (including calculation, analysis, reasoning, and synthesis).
• Interpret instructions that come from a variety of sources, and in varying communication patterns such as oral, written, and diagrammed.
• Use critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills to make decisions in a timely manner.
• Learn large volumes of complex and technically detailed information to engage in clinical problem-solving.
• Record examination and diagnostic results accurately, clearly, and communicate them efficiently and effectively to the client and other healthcare team members.

The student must demonstrate psychomotor abilities necessary and sufficient for the provision of safe and effective nursing care. Examples of required psychomotor abilities are listed below. This list is not all-inclusive.

Gross and Fine Motor Abilities

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Sit and stand in an upright posture for extended periods of time.
• Physically maneuver in laboratory and clinical settings, respond to emergency calls in a rapid manner.
• Position and assist clients in and out of bed/chair.
• Maintain an object in a steady position for an extended period of time.
• Competently perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.) using guidelines issued by the American Heart Association.
• Pulling/pushing/rolling efforts to move objects closer or further away.
• Use universal precautions with all patients and maintain sterile techniques when required.
• Write legibly and complete necessary documentation in laboratory and clinical settings in a timely manner and consistent with the acceptable norms of the setting.
• Legibly complete written assignments and tests.
• Effectively record communications in written form in charts, reports, and correspondence.
• Secure a firm grasp on equipment and related objects as necessary in the provision of care.
• Operate a variety of equipment that may require different actions by the nurse (push-button telephone and a computer keyboard).
• Effectively perform movements that require precision such as, venipuncture, catheterization, IV fluid administration, injections, and medication administration.
• Accurately obtain assessment data from clients via palpation, auscultation, and percussion.
• Properly manipulate equipment such as a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and thermometer; insert urethral catheters, IV catheters, nasogastric tubes, and other equipment as needed.

Visual Acuity Ability

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Perform precise movements.
• Identify color changes and coding systems per agency protocols.
• Identify and read small markings and inscriptions such as found on medications, syringes, thermometers, IV bags, and sphygmomanometers.
• Peripheral vision that encompasses clinically significant visual space.

Hearing/Auditory Ability

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Interpret verbal communication used in lectures, instructions, narratives, questions, and answers.
• Auscultate and percuss for body sounds such as heart, lung, and bowel sounds.
• Respond to a variety of machine alarms and sounds in a timely manner.
• Effectively work in an environment that is frequently noisy and distracting.
• Respond to cries for help.
• Respond to verbal commands in an emergency situation.

Communication Ability

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Effectively communicate with clients and others within the healthcare environment verbally and in written format.
• Communicate spontaneously with others to ask questions, explain procedures and conditions, and teach safely within a reasonable time frame.
• Perceive non-verbal communication and describe important changes in the client/situation.
• Develop professional relationships with the client, families, groups, and other healthcare team members.

Self-Care Ability

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Organize and coordinate transportation and living accommodations for off-campus clinical assignments to ensure timely reporting to the clinical areas and classrooms/labs.
• Evaluate and maintain general good holistic health and self-care.

The student must demonstrate affective learning abilities necessary and sufficient for the provision of safe and effective nursing care. Examples of required affective learning abilities are listed below. This list is not all-inclusive.

The student must demonstrate the ability to:

• Tolerate physically, emotionally and intellectually demanding academic and clinical workloads in nursing within set time constraints.
• Demonstrate composure of affective behaviors (verbal, physical, emotional) to ensure the holistic safety of the client in compliance with ethical standards of the American Nurses Association.
• Adapt to rapidly and constantly changing environments, demonstrate flexibility, and function in uncertain situations.
• Acknowledge and respect individual values and options to foster working relationships with clients, peers, faculty, and healthcare team members.