The Essential Functions for Nursing Practice
The programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) require students to engage in diverse, complex, and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these functions. In addition to being essential to the successful completion of the degree requirements, these functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of patients, fellow students, faculty, and other health care providers.
In keeping with its mission and goals and compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Widener University School of Nursing promotes an environment of respect for and support of persons with disabilities. The ADA defines disability as “…a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual: a record of such an impairment: or being regarded as having such an impairment” Physical or mental impairment is broadly defined and includes “…any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more …body systems … [and]…any mental or psychological disorder such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities…”
Essential functions are defined as those skills and competencies that all BSN and MSN students at Widener University must have the capacity to demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations. Students are not required to be competent in all of these skills at the time of admission, but must have the physical and mental capacity to perform the tasks in clinical practice. If a student is unable, or suspects they may be unable, to complete any of the essential functions outlined in this document, with or without reasonable accommodations, the student is strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Student Accessibility Services as soon as possible. Essential functions include but are not limited to the following:
Competency 1: Acquiring Fundamental knowledge
Compliance with this competency requires that the student be able to:
- Ability to learn in classroom and in educational settings.
- Ability to find sources of knowledge and acquire the knowledge.
- Ability to be a life-long learner.
- Novel and adaptive thinking.
Competency 2: Oral and writing ability with accuracy, clarity and efficiency
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders.
- Demonstrate professional behaviors in the workplace.
- Provide effective health teaching to individuals and groups.
- Interpret and document nursing actions and patient/client and family responses.
- Utilize professional behaviors with other members of the interprofessional team.
Competency 3: Interpreting Data
- Ability to observe patient conditions and responses to health and illness.
- Ability to assess and monitor health needs.
- Computational thinking.
- Cognitive load management
Competency 4: Ability to learn, think critically, analyze, assess, solve problems, reach judgment
- Demonstrate knowledge of nursing science and effective/safe clinical nursing care
- Utilize the nursing process in the provision of care
- Demonstrate clinical judgment.
- Synthesize nursing knowledge and skills in planning and providing effective/safe nursing care
- Establish priorities among several tasks or pieces of data
- Transfer knowledge and skills from one clinical nursing situation to another
- Demonstrate effective communication
- Develop a holistic plan of care utilizing clinical judgement
- Develop a plan of care based on the best evidence
- Address issues of health equity in the provision of care
- Monitor patient outcomes.
- Evaluate patient outcomes based on clinical practice guidelines.
- Accurately evaluate own performance in relation to written standards
- Accurately identify areas for continued learning and performance improvement
- Develop plan for lifelong learning
Competency 5: Concern for others, integrity, ethical conduct, accountability, interest and motivation
- Establish therapeutic boundaries
- Demonstrate clinical judgment and ethical conduct
- Be accountable for own behaviors
- Promote mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, students, faculty, staff, and other professionals
- Respect differences in patients/clients and families
- Support patient/client, families.
- Adapt to changing environment or stressful situations
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