VN Program - Wharton Campus
Wharton County Junior College-Vocational Nursing Program - Wharton
Policy on Essential Performance Standards and Activities for VN Students
The following performance standards and activities have been identified as essential for successful admission, progression and
completion of the Wharton VN program. Students with a diagnosed disability who are unable to meet the standards are advised to
contact the ADA coordinator prior to program admission.
Essential Activity/Tasks
(Examples are not all inclusive)
Critical thinking ability sufficient for
clinical decision making.
Solve problems and make valid, rational decisions using logic,
creativity, and reasoning
Analyze and use assessment findings to plan care for clients and
families
Identify priorities of care based on analysis of data
Evaluate the plan of care and revise as appropriate
Communication abilities sufficient for
interaction with others in verbal,
nonverbal, and written form.
Speak English in such manner to be understood by general public
Communicate effectively in verbal and written form by speaking clearly
and succinctly when explaining treatment procedures, describing
patient conditions, and implementing health teaching for clients and /
or families based on assessed needs, available resources, age, life style
and cultural considerations
Skills
Interpersonal abilities sufficient to
interact with individuals, families, and
groups from a variety of social,
emotional, cultural, and intellectual
backgrounds
Establish rapport (relationship) with clients and colleagues
through speech, touch, and hearing
Work effectively in small groups as team members and as a team
leader
Function safely under stressful conditions with the ability to adapt to
ever-changing environments inherent in clinical situations involving
Gross and fine motor skills sufficient to
provide nursing care in a safe and accurate
manner.
Manual dexterity to maintain sterile technique when performing
sterile procedures such as insertion of a catheter
Manual dexterity to perform all steps required for medication
administration (IV, PO, IM, etc.)
Be able to use a computer keyboard
Hearing ability sufficient to monitor,
assess, and provide safe nursing care.
Be able to hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, call bells, and to
answer telephones
Distinguish changes in tone and pitch such as when using a
stethoscope to hear a blood pressure, heart, lung, vascular, and
Visual ability sufficient to monitor, assess,
and provide safe nursing care.
Distinguish alterations in normal body activities such as absence of
respiratory movement
Identify changes in color, size and symmetry of body parts, such as
development of cyanosis
Read fine, small print on medication containers, physician’s orders,
monitors, thermometers, measuring cups, and equipment calibrations
Visualize written words and a computer screen
Physical abilities to move from room-
to-room or maneuver in limited spaces,
and to accommodate stairwell when
necessary.
Perform physical activities necessary to do basic nursing skills such as
putting on sterile gloves, performing health assessments Provide or
assist with activities of daily living such as bed bath, oral hygiene,
ambulation, and positioning
Transport and transfer patients using equipment such as
stretchers, wheelchairs, walkers, and commode chairs
Respond quickly in an emergency
Physical ability to stand for prolonged periods of time, perform
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, lift patients and objects of 50 lbs. or
Tactile ability sufficient to monitor, assess,
and provide safe nursing care.
Palpate for pulses, temperature, texture hardness or softness,
landmarks, etc.
and
Responsibility
Demonstrate accountability and
responsibility in all aspects of nursing
practice.
Be able to distinguish right from wrong, legal from illegal and to act
accordingly
Accept responsibility for own actions
Be able to comprehend ethical standards and agree to abide by them
