Responsibilities and standards in nursing practice are determined by the Board of Nursing, national accreditation guidelines, and clinical agencies. Additionally, as described in various clinical evaluation tools and course guidelines, students must be able to provide safe patient care.
Technical Standards for Nursing Practice
Nursing is a practice discipline and successful completion of the nursing program requires that students demonstrate ability to effectively and safely perform several essential skills. All students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in nursing are assessed in practice labs and clinical practicums throughout the program to confirm adherence to the technical standards, with or without accommodation.
Intellectual Requirements
Critical thinking is an important part of clinical judgment needed to provide safe patient care. Nursing students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, and quickly analyze information in order to apply complex information in the classroom and clinical settings.
Gross and Fine Motor Requirements
You must be able to provide general care (including preparing medications and administering treatment and completing patient assessments). For example, you must be able to perform basic life support (CPR), function in an emergency situation, and have the ability (within reasonable limits) to assist a patient in moving, such as from the chair to the bed.
Observation Skills
Student nurses in the BSN program must be able to observe patients accurately to assess their condition and perceived signs of disease and responses to treatments through physical examination, including visual images, auditory information (patient voice, heart tones, bowel, and lung sounds), and palpable changes in certain organs and tissues.
Communication Requirements
You must be able to communicate effectively with patients, staff, physicians, and family members, verbally and in writing. You need to be able to process and accurately convey information about the patient status to faculty, staff, and other health care providers in a timely manner.
Social and Behavioral Requirements
You must possess sufficient mental and emotional health to exercise good clinical judgment, promptly complete assessments, and function in what can be a physically and emotionally demanding dynamic environment. You need to be able to demonstrate compassion, empathy, and concern for others while maintaining a mature, sensitive, and effective relationship with patients, families, and other professionals.