Mental and Physical Qualifications for Professional Nursing
The following are MINIMUM mental and physical qualifications for admissions to the professional nursing program:
- Frequently work in a standing position and frequent walking.
- Lift and transfer patients up to 6 inches from a stooped position, then push or pull the weight up to 3 feet.
- Lift and transfer patients from a stooped to an upright position to accomplish bed-to-chair and chair-to-bed transfers.
- Physically apply up to 10 lbs. of pressure to bleeding sites or in performing CPR.
- Respond and react immediately to auditory
instructions/requests/monitor equipment and perform auditory
auscultation without auditory impediments.
- Physically perform up to a twelve-hour clinical laboratory experience.
- Perform close and distance visual activities involving objects,
persons and paperwork, as well as discriminate depth and color
perception.
- Discriminate between sharp/dull and hot/cold when using hands.
- Perform mathematical calculation for medication preparation and administration.
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing using appropriate grammar vocabulary and work usage.
- Make appropriate and timely decisions under stressful situations.
All students of the School of Nursing and Health
Professions are expected to meet these qualifications and successfully
complete other course requirements. Individuals applying for admission
to the School of Nursing and Health Professions should consider their
eligibility in light of these qualifications and assess their ability to
meet these qualifications.
In carrying out the nondiscrimination policy of the School of Nursing
and Health Professions with regards to students and applicants with
disabilities, the School will endeavor to make reasonable modifications
and otherwise reasonably accommodate students and applicants with
disabilities. Students with disabilities should consider their ability
to meet the above qualifications with reasonable accommodation. Any
requests for accommodation will be evaluated by nursing faculty, with
representation from outside the USF School of Nursing and Health
Professions as appropriate.
Health
Requirements
As health conscious role models, nurses, student nurses, and
other health care providers must practice preventive health behaviors.
Therefore, the School of Nursing and Health Professions expects certain health promotion and
prevention activities of students.
Some of the requirements can be obtained from the Student
Health Clinic, others from the San Francisco County Health Department,
and some from your private physician. EACH student is responsible for
maintaining current records and those records must be made available to
the nursing office prior to each semester. The clinical agency WILL NOT
allow nursing students access to the site without proper health, CPR,
and insurance clearance. The process begins before admission to the
nursing clinical courses and continues throughout enrollment in the
program. The fulfillment of the requirement must be good for the entire
semester (e.g., CPR certification or TB skin test cannot expire
mid-semester).
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertusis)
- Tuberculin Skin Test by Mantous (PPD only) or Quantiferon Blood test
- Hepatitis B seropositivity
- Varicella History (Chicken Pox) seropositivity
- Measles seropositivity
- Rubella seropositivity
- Mumps seropositivity
- Proof of Health Insurance
IF STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE THESE TESTS AND IMMUNIZATIONS
COMPLETED AND VERIFIED THEY WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO BEGIN CLINICAL
COURSE WORK AND MAY FORFEIT THEIR PLACE IN THE PROGRAM. THEY WILL
RECEIVE AN ACADEMIC DIFFICULTY ADVISING FORM WHICH MAY AFFECT THEIR
GRADE AND ABILITY TO COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE COURSE. IN
ADDITION, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR COURSES THROUGH THE
UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR'S OFFICE UNLESS THEIR IMMUNIZATION RECORDS ARE UP
TO DATE.
C.P.R. Certification
All School of Nursing and Health Professions students are required to have a valid
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification without which they
may forfeit their place in the program. The CPR certification must
include prevention and recognition of cardiovascular disease, infant,
child, and adult CPR, 1- and 2-person rescue, and foreign body airway
management. In addition, each semester students must show the instructor
current certification as this is a requirement for entry into the
clinical laboratory experience. This means students are responsible for
the annual renewal of their CPR certification. Only American Heart
Association certification is acceptable. NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED ON A
CLINICAL UNIT WITHOUT CPR CERTIFICATION THAT IS VALID FOR THE ENTIRE
SEMESTER.
Liability Insurance
All students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions must carry personal
professional liability insurance in order to enter the clinical agencies
with which the School has contractual arrangements. The fee for
liability insurance is paid by the student at the time of registration,
along with other student fees.
CDC Guidelines for Standard Precaution for all
Patients
All USF nursing students are expected to follow Standard
Precautions as established by the Centers for Disease Control.
Information and skill practice will be reviewed with
students at the beginning of each clinical rotation and students will be
asked to acknowledge in writing that they have reviewed these standard
precautions.
Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Emotional Illness
The USF School of Nursing and Health Professions and the California Board of
Registered Nursing are concerned about students impaired by alcoholism,
drug abuse, and emotional illness because these conditions can affect
the student's academic and clinical performance, which is a danger to
self and a grave danger to the patients in the student's care.
Therefore, the following actions will be implemented if it
is determined a student is impaired by alcoholism, drug abuse, or
emotional illness:
- Referral to the Counseling Center and/or to other
health care programs for voluntary diagnosis and treatment.
- Immediate corrective action, by the clinical faculty,
regarding the student's conduct and performance in the clinical
setting.
- Information on the consequences (disciplinary action
and prevention from being licensed to practice nursing in the State of
California) if voluntary assistance is not sought.
Background Check and Drug Testing
The University of San Francisco School of
Nursing and Health Professions will require nursing students to submit
to drug testing and to a criminal background check prior to clinical
practice in some facilities. California Laws regulating the Department
of Education, Department of Health Services, and the Department of
Social Services require individuals to be fingerprinted and have
criminal background checks completed prior to having direct contact with
students in public and private schools and day care centers and with
clients in adult day care centers. Should this affect nursing students
in individual clinical settings, the students will be notified in
advance to complete this process which will take up to three months.
Conviction of a Crime
Students must be aware that to be eligible to
take the NCLEX RN Exam, they are required under law to report ALL
misdemeanor and felony convictions. "Driving under the influence"
convictions must also be reported. Convictions must be reported even if
they have been expunged under Penal Code 1203.4 or even if a court
ordered diversion program has been completed under Penal Code Section
1000.
Eligibility to sit for the NCLEX RN exam is
determined by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Consideration
is given to the nature and severity of the offense, additional
subsequent acts, recency of acts or crimes, compliance with court
sanctions, and evidence of rehabilitation.
Confidentiality
Students as well as other healthcare workers are required to
maintain as confidential all those matters pertaining to the patient.
Discussion of the patient with others not involved in the patient's care
is inappropriate and unprofessional. When referring to the patient in
written work as part of clinical practice, use only the patient's
initials. Patient privacy and rights must be protected. Failure to
maintain confidentiality may result in legal action from the patient
and/or family.
