Allied Health Technical Standards and Clinical Requirements
Oconee Fall Line Technical College has a moral and ethical responsibility to select, educate, and graduate competent and safe students/practitioners. The college has identified technical standards critical to the success of students in allied health programs. These standards are designed not to be exclusionary, but to establish performance expectations that will enable students to provide safe professional practice with or without reasonable accommodations. All students enrolled in an allied health program are asked to review the provided technical standards and clinical requirements. The allied health programs are prepared to provide reasonable accommodations to accepted students who have documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must follow the college’s procedures outlined in the Student Affairs section of the catalog prior to enrollment in program courses.
- Ability to work in a clinical setting eight to twelve hours a day performing physical tasks requiring physical energy without jeopardizing patient, self, or colleague safety.*
- Possess fine and gross motor function necessary to perform patient care activities with the ability to frequently reach, lift, and use manual dexterity in the manipulation and operation of equipment, accessories, as well as for the use/creation of immobilization devices.*
- Ability to assist in the transporting, moving, lifting and transferring of patients weighing up to 450 pounds from a wheelchair or stretcher, to and from beds, treatment tables, chairs, etc.*
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to communicate clearly (verbal, written, nonverbal, and technically) with all members of the health care team and patients. (Documented by satisfactory completion of general education requirements).
- Possess sufficient visual and hearing acuity to observe lectures, demonstrations, and clinical situations in the practice of health care professions. This is necessary to report visual observations of patients and equipment operations as well as to read patient’s medical records and medical information. Aural acuity must be adequate enough to hear the patient during all phases of care as well as to perceive and interpret equipment signals. Tactile and somatic senses must be intact to provide appropriate responses and intervention.*
- Possess the emotional health required for full use of the intellectual abilities, demonstration of good judgment, prompt and safe completion of all responsibilities, and development of mature and effective relationships with faculty, classmates, preceptors, and patients. Must be able to work cooperatively with others, adapt to rapidly changing environments, think clearly and tolerate physically and mentally challenging workloads under stressful situations. Additionally, students must demonstrate moral reasoning and ethical behaviors.*
- Have sufficient problem-solving skills to include measuring, calculating, reasoning, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing with the ability to perform these skills in a timely fashion. Periodic examinations, both written and practical, are an essential component of the health sciences curriculum. In order to progress through the curriculum, students must successfully fulfill examination requirements. (Documented by meeting program admission status.)
- Must demonstrate clinical competency. The process of evaluation of the clinical performance is an essential component of the curriculum and participation in clinical experiences and evaluation are required.
*Documented by physical exam.