Technical Standards

Per the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title II, Subpart A, people with disabilities must have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from state and local government programs, services, and activities. In order to provide a comprehensive list of program requirements for all students, regardless of ability.

Perception/Observation

Students must be able to perceive, using senses and mental abilities, the presentation of information through:

• Small group discussions and presentations;
• Large-group lectures;
• One-on-one interactions;
• Demonstrations;
• Laboratory experiments;
• Patient encounters (at a distance and close at hand);
• Procedures;
• Written material;
• Audiovisual material;
• Documentation;
• Accurate records.

Communication

Students must be able to skillfully communicate with faculty members, other members of the healthcare team, patients, patient’s family members, and other students, to:

• Elicit information;
• Accurately convey information and maintain patient records;
• Clarify information;
• Create rapport;
• Develop therapeutic relationships;
• Provide and accept feedback respectfully.

Psychomotor/Tactile Function

Students must have adequate psychomotor function, physical strength, and tactile ability to meet the core competencies used by the Nursing Assistant program, as well as the Central New Mexico Community College Competencies required for certification:

• Attend and participate in classes, groups, and activities which are part of the curriculum;
• Communicate in a written format;
• Accurately complete data collections including but not limited to vital signs, skin inspection, measurement of nutritional and liquid intake, measurement of output, and resident complaints;
• Move safely around the skills lab, patient rooms and a variety of clinical settings;
• Perform patient care in a timely and safe manner including the provision of life saving interventions;
• Assist patients with psychomotor skills such as hygiene, feeding, transfers, dressing, and grooming;
• Function in outpatient, inpatient, and other venues;
• Demonstrate ability to safely transfer/lift/move patients among beds, chairs, toilets, wheelchairs and commodes;
• Stamina to meet the demands associated with sitting, standing, moving, and physical exertion required for satisfactory and safe performance in the classroom, lab, and clinical settings.

Cognition

Students must be able to demonstrate higher-level cognitive abilities, which include:

• Rational thought;
• Measurement;
• Calculation;
• Visual-spatial comprehension;
• Conceptualization;
• Organization;
• Representation (oral, written, diagrammatic, three dimensional);
• Memory;
• Application;
• Empathy;
• Ethical reasoning;
• Sound judgment;
• Make decisions (often in a time urgent environment);
• Incorporate new information;
• Flexibility;
• Develop and refine problem-solving skills (analyze and synthesize data);
• Time Management;
• Compassion;
• Reliability;
• Effective Communication skills.

Professionalism

Students must possess the ability to reason morally and demonstrate patient care in an ethical manner:

• Consistently display integrity, honesty, empathy, caring, fairness, respect for self and others, diligence, motivation, effective interpersonal skills, concern for others, and dedication;
• Promptly complete all assignments and responsibilities attendant to the care of patients;
• Develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships, not only with patients but with all members of the CNA school community and healthcare teams;
• Adapt to unexpected changes and stressful situations;
• Identify own emotional responses, be reasonable objective and maintain self-control during difficult situations;
• Express feelings and ideas in a professional manner;
• Take responsibility for actions and behaviors;
• Accept and integrate constructive feedback given in the classroom, lab, and clinical settings.