Nursing Responsibilities include:
- Performing physical exams and health histories
- Providing health promotion, counseling and education
- Administering medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions
- Interpreting patient information and making critical decisions about needed actions
- Coordinating care, in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals
- Directing and supervising care delivered by other healthcare personnel like LPN’s and nurse aides
- Conducting research in support of improved practice and patient outcomes
While registered nurses may work in a variety of different settings, most nurses work in a hospital setting. Nursing work on patient care units is physically and emotionally challenging. Nursing students receive the majority of their clinical experience in the hospital setting. In order to meet these challenges of nursing, there are core performance requirements that the student must be able to meet.
| Core Performance Requirements for Nursing Students | Standard | Examples (not all-inclusive) |
| Critical- thinking | Critical-thinking ability to allow for clinical judgement for safe and quality patient care | Understand the underlying pathophysiology of the individual and be able to identify the expected course of action based on guidelines, standards of care and clinical judgement. Develop written plans of care with the interdisciplinary team so that the care of the individual is coordinated and organized. Calculate medication dosing, including intravenous medications. Be able to prioritize among conflicting demands so that care is safe and of good quality. Understand and apply infection control principles including sterile and clean techniques. Use equipment safely and appropriately. |
| Interpersonal | Interpersonal abilities sufficient for interaction with individuals, families and groups from various social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds | Establish rapport with clients, clients’ families, colleagues, and other healthcare providers. Demonstrate the ability for inter-professional work as an accountable member of the healthcare team. |
| Communication | Communication abilities sufficient for verbal and written interaction with others | Use principles of good communication. Is able to teach patients and families using evidence-based techniques. Document nursing care fully and completely in the medical record. Communicate to other healthcare professionals, including other nurses, in a clear and concise manner using standardized procedures for transitions in care. |
| Mobility | Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and to maneuver in small spaces | Ability to stand and/or walk for long periods of time. Able to bend, kneel, stoop and reach overhead. Can work in confined spaces, such as patient care rooms, exam rooms, and other treatment spaces. Able to administer treatments during emergency situations, such as chest compressions. Use assistive equipment as available, able to push/pull/lift/transfer individuals. Can push/pull/lift up to 35 pounds. Able to assist others with routine activities of daily living (bathing, toileting, eating, etc.) |
| Motor skills | Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care | Able to safely use equipment associated with patient care activities such as but not limited to: intravenous pumps; feeding pumps; cardiac monitors; vital sign equipment; medication administration equipment; suctioning equipment and electronic equipment, such as computers. |
| Sensory: Hearing | Auditory ability sufficient for monitoring and assessing health needs | Hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, auscultation of client assessment to determine normal versus abnormal heart, lung, and bowel sounds; hear cries for help. |
| Sensory: Visual | Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary to implement nursing care | Able to see and observe changes in patient condition such as skin color, respirations, pain responses, non-verbal signaling. Able to read and understand charts and other medical documents. Able to read and understand equipment related to patient care such as medication labels, vital sign machines, cardiac monitors, etc. |
| Sensory: Tactile | Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment | Perform palpation (pulse, temperature, tactile fremitus), functions of physical assessment and/or those related to therapeutic interventions. |
| Critical-thinking ability to allow for clinical judgement for safe and quality patient care | Understand the underlying pathophysiology of the individual and be able to identify the expected course of action based on guidelines, standards of care and clinical judgement. Develop written plans of care with the interdisciplinary team so that the care of the individual is coordinated and organized. Calculate medication dosing, including intravenous medications. Be able to prioritize among conflicting demands so that care is safe and of good quality. Understand and apply infection control principles including sterile and clean techniques. Use equipment safely and appropriately. | |
| Sensory: Olfactory | Sense of smell sufficient for accurate client assessment and maintaining client safety | Distinguish smells that contribute to assessment and/or safety (such as wound or breath odor, smell smoke/fire). |
| Self-Care | Ability to identify and maintain personal physical, cognitive, and emotional health. | Ability to read and understand directions, assignments, and client’ documents; ability to present a professional appearance as described in the nursing student handbook (available on the web page for review) and/or requirements for cadet appearance as described in the blue book; ability to maintain own physical health in order to work with vulnerable clients; energy and stamina to complete clinical requirements; ability to implement Universal Precautions which includes protective personal equipment, such as a mask; emotionally able to maintain a calm demeanor in crisis and emergency situations; ability to make ethical decisions; ability to accept constructive feedback; self-discipline to meet rigorous deadlines; adhere to the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses and other professional behaviors which includes abstinence from chemical substances that affect clinical judgment. |
| Environment | Ability to work in a variety of healthcare settings with diverse client populations under variable conditions. | Ability to work in temperature changes (such as cold of operating room or heat of outdoor clinic); ability to drive or otherwise provide transportation to and from clinical settings; ability to work in settings with noises that may be a distraction; work in presence of noxious odors, contact with liquids, and potential hazards |
In addition, for the protection of the vulnerable individuals in the care of the nurse, students must be able to show proof of immunizations including: COVID (both doses if applicable), rubella, rubeola, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, seasonal flu, and meningitis (a waiver for meningitis may be requested). Students must have annual proof that they have not tested positive for the mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).
Applicants must sign and return this form with their acceptance of the admission offer. If an applicant feels that he/she cannot meet one or more of these requirements, then he/she should apply to the Disabilities Office requesting an accommodation. The accommodation will be reviewed by the Disabilities Office to determine if it may be reasonably made to facilitate the completion of degree requirements, which include clinical requirements. The applicant should bear in mind that The Citadel honors the policies of our clinical partners and must adhere to these policies while the students are in the clinical setting. Specific accommodation requests may be in conflict with clinical partner policies. In these cases, if alternative experiences that provide the same clinical content cannot be found for the student, then the student will not be completing the core performance requirements and will not be able to progress within the nursing curriculum. Signing this form indicates that the applicant has reviewed the core performance requirements and, to the best of their knowledge, can complete all of these requirements.
Deadlines:
The application deadline is October 1 for early decision and March 1 for final decision.