Iowa community colleges have developed the following Core Performance Standards for all applicants to Health Care Career Programs. These standards are based upon required abilities that are compatible with effective performance in health care careers. Applicants unable to meet the Core Performance Standards are responsible for discussing the possibility of reasonable accommodations with the designated institutional office. Before final admission into a health career program, applicants are responsible for providing medical and other documentation related to any disability and the appropriate accommodations needed to meet the Core Performance Standards. These materials must be submitted in accordance with the institution’s ADA Policy.
| Capability | Standard | Examples of Necessary Activities (Not All-Inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive-Perception | The ability to perceive events realistically, to think clearly and rationally, and to function appropriately in routine and stressful situations. | Identify changes in patient/client health status, handle multiple priorities in stressful situations. |
| Critical Thinking | Critical thinking ability sufficient for sound clinical judgment. | Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations, develop plans of care. |
| Interpersonal | Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact appropriately with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds. | Establish rapport with patients/clients and colleagues, demonstrate a high degree of patience, manage a variety of patient/client expressions (anger, fear, hostility) in a calm manner. |
| Communication | Communication abilities in English sufficient for appropriate interaction with others in verbal and written form. | Read, understand, write, and speak English competently, explain treatment procedures, initiate health teaching, document patient/client responses, validate responses/messages with others. |
| Mobility | Ambulatory capability to sufficiently maintain a center of gravity when met with an opposing force as in lifting, supporting, and/or transferring a patient/client. | The ability to propel wheelchairs, stretchers, etc., alone or with assistance as available. |
| Motor Skills | Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective care and documentation. | Position patients/clients reach, manipulate, and operate equipment, instruments, and supplies, electronic documentation/keyboarding, lift, carry, push, and pull, perform CPR. |
| Hearing | Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess, or document health needs. | Hears monitor alarms, emergency signals, auscultatory sounds, cries for help.Hears telephone interactions/dictation. |
| Visual | Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in patient/client care, accurate color discrimination. | Observes patient/client responses, discriminates color changes, accurately reads measurement on patient/client-related equipment. |
| Tactile | Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment, inclusive of size, shape, temperature and texture. | Performs palpation functions of physical examination and/or those related to therapeutic intervention, e.g. insertion of a catheter. |
| Activity Tolerance | The ability to tolerate lengthy periods of physical activity. | Move quickly and/or continuously tolerate long periods of standing and/or sitting. |
| Environmental | Ability to tolerate environmental stressors. | Adapt to rotating shifts, work with chemicals and detergents, tolerate exposure to fumes and odors. Work in areas that are close and crowded, work in areas of potential physical violence |