Essential Functions
Nursing is a practice discipline, with physical, communicative, cognitive, sensory, affective, behavioral, social and psychomotor performance requirements. The functional eligibility requirements for participation in the nursing program are essential for the delivery of optimal and safe patient care and are consistent with the Massachusetts 244 CMR 3.02 Nurse Practice Act found at http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/regs/244cmr003.pdf.
These essential functional abilities must be performed with or without reasonable accommodations throughout enrollment in the nursing program. After review of the Essential Functional Abilities for Nursing Practice please refer to the colleges Disability and Title IX Policies for further information.
The Essential Functional Abilities for Nursing Practice is provided for the student to assess their own capabilities and to obtain documentation of a fit-for-duty physical exam that verifies ones capable of fulfilling the essential functional abilities with or without reasonable accommodations.
Students applying and enrolled in the nursing programs, with or without reasonable accommodations, must be able to:
Demonstrate the ability to perform essential functions for up to a maximum of a 12-hour shift;
Demonstrate the ability to protect a patient when the patient is standing and ambulating on all surfaces with or without the use of assistive devices, including canes, crutches and walkers;
Demonstrate the ability to safely move a patient over 100 pounds from one surface to another using the appropriate level of help;
Demonstrate safe body mechanics in the process of all patient treatments, including lifting and carrying small equipment (under 50 pounds) and moving large equipment (over 50 pounds);
Demonstrate the ability to manipulate dials on equipment;
Demonstrate the ability to coordinate simultaneous motions;
Demonstrate the ability to perform occasional overhead extension;
Demonstrate the ability to hear blood pressure, heart and lung sounds with or without corrective devices;
Demonstrate the ability to palpate soft tissue including pulse, muscle and bones;
Demonstrate the ability to perform nursing interventions: sterile procedures, dressing changes and when necessary follow infection control procedures, administer medications (including dosage calculations);
Display adaptability to change;
Establish effective relationships with others;
Communicate effectively, safely and efficiently in English by:
Explaining procedures;
Receiving information from others;
Receiving information from written documents;
Exhibiting appropriate interpersonal skill (refer to ANA Code for Nurses);
Analyzing and documenting assessment findings and interventions;
Distinguish color changes; and
Detect an unsafe environment and carry out appropriate emergency procedures including:
Detecting subtle environmental changes and odors including but not limited to the smell of burning electrical equipment, smoke and spills;
Detects high and low frequency sounds, including but not limited to alarms, bells and emergency signals.