In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students must be physically and mentally capable of performing the essential technical standards of the program with or without reasonable accommodation. If a student believes that he or she cannot meet one or more of the standards without accommodations or modifications, the nursing program will determine, on an individual basis, whether or not the necessary accommodations or modifications can reasonably be made. The following Essential Technical Standards identify essential eligibility requirements for participation in nursing programs at SFSC:

Work Hours

Able to work multiple 8 to 12 hour days per week at hospital sites.

Work Environment

  1. Exposure to hazardous material and blood borne pathogens requiring safety equipment such as masks, head coverings, glasses, rubber and latex gloves, etc.
  2. Must be able to meet hospital and college performance standards.
  3. Must travel to and from training site.

Cognitive Abilities

  • Understand and work from written and verbal orders.
  • Possess effective verbal and written communication skills.
  • Understand and be able to implement related regulations and hospital policies and procedures.
  • Possess technical competency in patient care and related areas.
  • Perform calculations to determine correct dosage or flow rate.
  • Speak to individuals and small groups.
  • Conduct personal appraisals and counsel patients and families.

Physical Demands

The nursing student’s health care practitioner will verify that the student can meet the physical demands and perform these physical activities:

  • Standing and/or walking continuous, during all phases of patient care.
  • Bending, crouching, or stooping several times per hour (e.g., emptying catheter drainage bags, checking chest tube containers, positioning of wheelchair foot supports, during bath, during dressing changes, during feeding catheterizations, etc.).
  • Lifting, frequently, with weight lifted ranging from 100-300 pounds (approximately), rarely 300+ pounds. Lifting should always be done with assistance.
  • Reaching, frequently, overhead, above the shoulder at 90 degrees (e.g., during bathing, manipulating IV equipment, obtaining supplies, transferring patient into or out of bed, etc.)
  • Twisting, frequently (e.g., transferring patients from chair to bed, feeding patients, performing some sterile procedures, etc.
  • Pulling patients, objects and equipment, frequent, up to 45 pounds effort (e.g., positioning patients in bed, during transfer to and from gurneys, wheelchairs, commodes, etc.)
  • Utilizing eyesight to observe patients, manipulate equipment and accessories and/or evaluate radiographs for technical quality under various illumination levels (i.e., illumination varies from low levels of illumination to amber/red lighting to bright light levels.)
  • Hearing to communicate with the patient and health care team.
  • Using sufficient verbal and written skills to effectively and promptly communicate with the patient and healthcare team.
  • Manipulating medical equipment and accessories, including but not limited to switches, knobs, buttons, and keyboards, utilizing fine and gross motor skills (e.g., preparing and administering medications, utilizing medication delivery systems with or without scanning devices, setting up and monitoring IV equipment such as infusion pumps (40 pounds effort), cardiovascular hemodynamic equipment (40 pounds effort), suction equipment (30 pounds effort), performing dressing changes and other procedures, manipulating oxygen equipment, and various other items ranging from 2-40 pounds effort).
  • Performing the assigned training related tasks/skills responsibilities with the intellectual and emotional function necessary to ensure patient safety and exercise independent judgment and discretion.

Upon admission, a candidate who discloses a disability and request accommodation will be asked to provide documentation of his or her disability for the purpose of determining appropriate accommodations, including modification to the program. The college will provide reasonable accommodations, but is not required to make modifications that would substantially alter the nature or requirements of the program or provide auxiliary aids that present an undue burden to the college. To matriculate or continue in the curriculum, the candidate must be able to perform all the essential functions outlined in the technical standards either with or without accommodation.