| School of Nursing & Allied Health Administration

Have ADA Questions?

Andrea M. Pammer
Director of Disability Services
Guidance and Counseling

Office: 307 Colebank Hall
Phone: 304-367-4686
TTY: 367-4906
VP: 367-4072

Student with Disabilities

The FSU School of Nursing and Allied Health Administration complies with the University’s admission policy in response to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students admitted to the Associate Degree of Nursing Program are expected to be able to complete curriculum requirements which include physical, cognitive, and behavioral skills that are essential to the function of the entry level professional nurse. Reasonable accommodations are made to assist nursing students with disabilities; however, the successful candidate for graduation is expected to perform in a reasonably independent manner as outlined in the Core Performance Standards. Students or applicants for admission who believe that they cannot meet the Core Performance Standards should contact the Disabilities and Psychological Services Office and speak to an ADA Counselor.

Core Performance Standards

Core Performance Standards as adapted from the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and from the Validation Study, “Functional Abilities Essential for Nursing Practice” by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

The core performance standards set forth cognitive, sensory, affective and psychomotor performance requirements for nurses. Under the ADA, the FSU nursing programs do not base admission, acceptance or continued enrollment on the core performance standards. Instead, the standards are used to assist applicants and students in the determination of need for ADA related accommodations and medications. The core performance standards are intended to constitute an objective measure of:

A qualified applicant’s ability with or without accommodations to meet the program performance requirements.
Accommodations required by a matriculated student who seeks accommodations under the ADA.

Applicants and students with disabilities seeking accommodations under the ADA, must contact the Disability and Psychological Services office.

Requirements	Standards	Examples
Critical thinking	Critical thinking ability for effective clinical reasoning and clinical judgment consistent with level of educational preparation.	Identification of cause/effect relationships in clinical situations Use of the scientific method in the development of patient care plans Evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing interventions
Professional Relationships	Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interactions with a diverse population of individuals, families and groups	Establishment of rapport with patients/clients and colleagues Capacity to engage in successful conflict resolution Peer accountability
Communication	Communication adeptness sufficient for verbal and written professional interactions	Explanation of treatment procedures, initiation of health teaching. Documentation and interpretation of nursing actions and patient/client responses
Mobility	Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces	Movement about patient's room, work spaces and treatment areas Administration of rescue procedures-cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Motor skills	Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care	Calibration and use of equipment Therapeutic positioning of patients
Hearing	Auditory ability sufficient for monitoring and assessing health needs	Ability to hear monitoring device alarm and other emergency signals Ability to discern auscultatory sounds and cries for help
Visual	Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in patient care	Ability to observe patient's condition and responses to treatments
Tactile Sense	Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment	Ability to palpate in physical examinations and various therapeutic interventions