Appendix P: Essential Qualifications
Essential Qualifications of Candidates for Admission and Continuance
Moberly Area Community College (MACC) Program of Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) signifies that the holder of that degree has been educated to competently enter nursing practice in all healthcare settings and to apply for ADN licensure in the State of Missouri. The education of a nurse requires assimilation of knowledge, acquisition of skills and development of judgment through patient care experience in preparation for a.) Independent and b.) Semi-autonomous and or c.) making appropriate decisions required in practice. The practice of nursing emphasizes collaboration among physicians, nurses, allied health care professionals, and the patient.
The curriculum leading to the degree in Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from MACC requires students to engage in diverse complex and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical, and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these functions. In addition to being essential to the successful completion of the requirements of the RN, these functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of patients, fellow candidates, faculty and other healthcare providers.
The essential abilities necessary to acquire or demonstrate competence in a discipline as complex as nursing and needed for successful admission and continuance by candidates for the Associate Degree in Nursing degree at Moberly Area Community College include by are not limited to the following abilities:
Motor Skills
Candidates should have sufficient motor function so that they are able to execute movements required to provide general care and treatment to patients in all health care settings. (For example: For the safety and protection of the patients, the candidate must be able to perform basic life support, including CPR, and function in an emergency situation. The candidate must have the ability, within reasonable limits, to safely assist a patient in moving, for example, from a chair to a bed, or from a wheelchair to a commode.
Sensory/Observation
A candidate must be able to acquire the information presented through demonstrations and experiences in the basic and nursing sciences. He or she must be able to observe a patient accurately, and at a distance and close at hand and observe and appreciate non-verbal communications when performing nursing assessment and intervention or administering medications. The candidate must be capable of perceiving the signs of disease and infection as manifested through physical examination. Such information is derived from images of the body surfaces, palpable changes in various organs, and tissues, and auditory information (patient voice, hear tones, bowel and lung sounds.)
Communication
The candidate must communicate effectively and sensitively with other students, faculty, staff, patients, family, and other professionals. He or she must express his or her ideas and feelings clearly and demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive feedback. A candidate must be able to: convey or exchange information at a level allowing development of a health history; identify problems presented; explain alternative solutions; and give directions during treatment and post-treatment. The candidate must be able to process and communicate effectively in oral and written forms. The candidate must be able to process and communicate information on the patient's status with accuracy in a timely manner to members of the health care team. The appropriate communication may also rely on the candidate's ability to make correct judgment in seeking supervision and consultation in a timely manner.
Cognitive
A candidate must be able to measure, calculate reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize in the context of undergraduate nursing study. The candidate must be able to quickly read and comprehend written material. He or she must be able to evaluate information and engage in critical thinking in the classroom and clinical setting.
Behavioral/Emotional
A candidate must possess the emotional health required for the full utilization of his or her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibility’s attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients and families. In addition, he/she must be able to maintain mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, students, faculty, staff, and other professionals under all circumstances including highly stressful situations. The candidate must have the emotional stability to function effectively under stress and to adapt an environment that may change rapidly without warning and/or in unpredictable ways. The candidate must be able to experience empathy for the situations and circumstances of others and effectively communicate that empathy. The candidate must know that his or her values, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and experiences affect his or her perceptions and relationships with others. The candidate must be able and willing to examine and change in his or her behavior when it interferes with productive individual or team relationships. The candidates must possess skills and experience necessary for effective and harmonious relationships in diverse academic and working environments.
Professional Conduct
Candidates must possess the ability to reason morally and practice nursing in an ethical manner. Candidates must be willing to learn and abide by professional standards of practice. He/she must possess the attributes that include compassion, empathy, altruism, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and tolerance. Candidates must be able to engage in a patient care delivery in all settings and be able to deliver care to all patient populations including but not limited to children, adolescents, adults, developmentally disabled persons, medically compromised patients, and vulnerable adults.
RECEIPT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The undersigned applicant to Moberly Area Community College nursing program hereby acknowledges receiving, reading, and understanding a copy of this notice.
Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ________________