Functional and Behavioral Standards (Technical Standards)
For the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing
Introduction
Preparation for a career in the nursing profession involves much more than the acquisition of the requisite knowledge. Candidates for the RN or other nursing degrees and licenses must also be able to apply their knowledge to interactions with patients and colleagues, and to perform or direct the delivery of safe and effective nursing care in a timely manner. The purpose of this document is to communicate to all prospective and current students the full range of capabilities needed to function effectively as a nursing student and meet all graduation requirements of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing.
The University of Illinois Chicago is committed to the promotion of equity in health care and health profession education and is an international leader in the field of disability studies. Furthermore, the College of Nursing recognizes that an ideal nurse training environment and workforce will embrace a range of individual differences in aptitudes and life experiences. Providing students with flexible ways of showing their understanding and reaching those pedagogical goals can lift all students, foster more dynamic classrooms, and help us obtain excellence in learning and practice outcomes. Embracing a teaching philosophy informed by critical disability pedagogies, which views disability as a key source of knowledge and experience rather than a problem to be accommodated or solved, ensures a curriculum and content with a presumption that diversity of bodies, minds, and experiences will not only be in nursing classrooms and clinical sites, but want to be in the classroom and clinical settings. Such diversity vitally enriches educational and clinical practice settings and fosters an environment in which students are able to reach their highest academic potential.
The following functional and behavioral standards outline the capabilities required to meet the graduate competencies of the College of Nursing; the latter can be found at UIC College of Nursing competencies. In certain circumstances, students may take advantage of trained intermediaries to support their learning. Further information for students with disabilities who anticipate a need for accommodations is provided below, and at the web pages of the UIC Disability Resource Center.
Those offered acceptance to the College of Nursing are asked to attest to their ability to meet these competencies, with or without accommodation, prior to matriculation. A similar attestation may be required of each student prior to beginning clinical practicums in laboratory and clinical environments. Students currently enrolled are also expected to consult UIC Disability Resource Center and/or campus administrative leadership should any barriers to their meeting these standards arise at any point during their studies.
Functional and Behavioral Standards
Adapted from: Ailey, S. H. & Marks, B. (2016). Technical Standards for Nursing Education Programs in the 21st Century; and Marks, B. & Ailey, S. A. (2014) White Paper on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Nursing Educational Programs. Sacramento, CA: California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (CCEPD)
Acquiring fundamental knowledge
Students must demonstrate the ability to find sources of knowledge and acquire knowledge. Students must be able to conceptualize and use evidence-based information from demonstrations and experiences in the basic and applied sciences, including but not limited to information conveyed through online coursework, lecture, group seminar, small group activities and physical demonstrations. Students must develop health care solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based.
Developing communication skills
Students must accurately elicit or interpret information: medical history and other info to adequately and effectively evaluate a client or patient’s condition; and convey information and interpretation of information using one or more means of communication (verbal, written, assisted (such as TTY) and/or electronic) to patients and the health care team. Students must effectively communicate in teams, determine a deeper meaning of significance in what is being expressed; and connect with others to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions.
Interpreting data
Students must be able to demonstrate the ability to assess and monitor patient conditions and responses to health and illness, and obtain and interpret information from assessment maneuvers such as assessing respiratory and cardiac function, blood pressure, blood sugar, neurological status, etc. Students must be able to obtain and interpret information from diagnostic representations of physiologic phenomena during a comprehensive assessment of patients; and obtain and interpret information from assessment of patient’s environment and responses to health across the continuum. Students must be able to obtain and interpret for evaluation information about responses to nursing action; and be able to translate data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning. Advanced practice students must interpret causal connections and make accurate, evidence- based conclusions based on available data and information; formulate a hypothesis and investigate the potential answers and outcomes; and reach appropriate and accurate conclusions.
Acquiring and integrating information to exercise evidence-informed clinical judgment
Effective clinical practice requires students to demonstrate the capacity to accomplish, direct or interpret assessment of persons, families and/or communities. Students must develop, implement, and evaluate plans of care or direct the development, implementation, and evaluation of care by eliciting and integrating information about a patient’s clinical state. Students must demonstrate the ability to examine evidence for managing that clinical state including relevant patient context, and patient preferences. Student should further demonstrate the critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities needed to care for persons, families and/or communities across the health continuum. Advanced practice students must demonstrate the requisite skills, including eliciting medical histories, conducting routine physical examinations and diagnostic maneuvers; utilizing available information resources to identify pertinent research evidence; engaging with patients to identify the circumstances or behaviors that are relevant to planning their care; and respecting patients’ autonomy by eliciting their preferences.
Students must demonstrate intellectual and conceptual abilities to accomplish the essentials of the nursing program (for example, baccalaureate essentials). Students must be able to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms; and leverage these media for persuasive communication. Students must demonstrate literacy in and ability to understand concepts across disciplines; and represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes.
In emergency situations, students must be able to respond in a timely manner, both by initiating care within their scope of training and notifying and supporting other health professionals. Students must meet applicable safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.
Incorporating appropriate professional attitudes and behaviors
These behavioral expectations are also included among the core academic standards for promotion and graduation, as documented in the college’s Academic Policies and Behavioral Standards document, UIC Nursing Student Handbook.
Students must demonstrate concern for others, integrity, ethical conduct, accountability, interest, and motivation. Students must acquire interpersonal skills for professional interactions with a diverse population of individuals, families, and communities; and acquire interpersonal skills for professional interactions with members of the health care team, including patients, their supports, other health care professionals, and team members. Students must acquire the skills necessary for promoting change for necessary quality health care, be able to appreciate different cultural settings (including disability culture), work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team. Student must be able to recognize personal deficiencies and weaknesses, and seek assistance, when appropriate.
Accessing Accommodations
The UIC Disability Resource Center
UIC is committed to the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of university life, and the College of Nursing welcomes students with disabilities and supports their success in our nursing education programs.
Applicants or currently enrolled students who face or anticipate disability-related barriers to meeting the above standards should set up a meeting with the Disability Resource Center (DRC): 1200 W. Harrison St. Room 1070 SSB (MC 312) Chicago, IL 60607 312-413-2183 (voice). DRC.uic.edu
The DRC is available for consultation with any student or applicant. Students may also wish to first discuss their needs with the college’s academic support professionals, their own health professionals, or with their student affairs or curriculum deans. Note however that students are never obligated to discuss their diagnosis or any medical details, of their disability or treatment plan with faculty or staff of the College of Nursing.
The DRC may require documentation in the process of determining and implementing reasonable accommodations.
A non-comprehensive list of commonly approved accommodations is available on the DRC’s Guide to Accommodations. Note that accommodation determinations are always made on a case-by-case basis and may differ according to the particular setting and its curricular requirements, or the functional limitations of an individual student’s disability.
Accommodation needs are best addressed proactively. Student performance outcomes cannot be revisited retroactively from the time that accommodations are requested or implemented.
The implementation of accommodations is an interactive and iterative process:
- It is interactive, in that the DRC, the student, and the faculty all participate in the implementation process. The DRC may seek information from appropriate University personnel regarding essential standards for various curricular activities; conversely, University personnel may seek information from the DRC regarding how best to facilitate a student’s accommodations in their program.
- It is iterative, in that the student and/or faculty may find that new activities undertaken as the curriculum progresses (e.g., the transition to full-time study in clinical settings) present challenges and barriers that were not anticipated when accommodations were first implemented. For this reason, we ask students receiving accommodations to maintain ongoing contact with the DRC.
If an accommodation is deemed unreasonable or inappropriate for a course or clinical experience, the DRC and the college will explore whether a suitable alternative reasonable accommodation exists.