In this program, students should be able to meet specific technical standards, which are the essential skills and abilities needed to be successful in a program, with or without reasonable accommodation. It is important to review and understand these standards before applying to the program.
This information should be reviewed prior to applying to the program.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made to ensure access to academic programs, activities, services, and employment in accordance with Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. If accommodations are needed, contact the campus Accommodations Specialist or the Northwood Tech Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Officer, at 715-645-7042, TTY 711, 30 days in advance of needed assistance. Services available are documented on the Northwood Tech Accommodations webpage:
Accommodation Services | Northwood Technical College.
For more information, please see Administrative Procedure J-111A Reasonable Accommodation for Student.
Area
Physical Skills
Standard
The student must demonstrate:
- Gross motor for data collection/assessment, intervention, and to promote a safe environment.
- Fine motor/dexterity to manipulate small objects and complete procedures or assessments.
- Endurance, strength, mobility, balance, flexibility, and coordination to perform client care activities and emergency procedures.
Examples (Not Inclusive)
- Ability to move in confined spaces, maintain balance in standing position, reach above/below waist, to
front/side of body, and freely move on/off floor while maintaining balance such as toilet or shower training or in an emergency situation - Ability to push/pull, stabilize, freely move arms to allow movement of 50# objects such as pushing wheelchair, transferring patient, setting up assistive devices
- Ability to grasp, twist, squeeze, pinch, and manipulate fine equipment for at least 5 seconds such as adjusting client’s oxygen concentrator, taking vitals, teaching fine motor, documenting
- Ability to sustain continued work for a minimum of full time work equivalent (40 hours per week) such as demands in FWII and typical industry job demands
- Demonstrates functional hand strength and dexterity, with ability to grasp weights, equipment, client’s extremities, and perform repetitive hand motions such as teaching fine motor, exercises and documenting
Sensory Skills
The student must demonstrate:
- Vision sufficient for observation and assessment of patient care.
- Tactile, auditory, visual, and olfactory ability for data collection/assessment and to promote a safe care environment.
- Ability to tolerate exposure to odors and common allergens.
- Ability to have depth perception and peripheral vision to allow identification of dangerous objects and client situations within client environment and safely transfer client between surfaces and move clients between surfaces e.g. child on/off swing
- Ability to hear and understand voices spoken at a normal speaking volume at a distance of 10 feet (typical length of a room), e.g. person to person conversation
- Ability to identify the subtle difference in surface characteristics (palpate muscle contraction)
Communication Skills
The student must have the ability to:
- Communicate effectively with patients/clients, families, peers, supervisors, members of the public, and other healthcare professionals.
- Observe, recognize, respond to, and use appropriate non-verbal communication.
- Listen and respond to others in a nonjudgmental, respectful manner.
- Speak, read, comprehend, interpret, and convey information.
- Produce written work legibly, accurately, and in a timely manner.
- Read and understand digital and computer displays, as well as enter data in a computerized client record.
- Cope with strong emotions and adapt to unpredictable situations.
- Uses language appropriate to the level of the audience considering the client’s personal factors as defined by OTPF-4, table 5
- Uses appropriate non-verbal communication considering client’s personal factors
- Ability to interact and support clients during times of stress and emotional upset and maintain neutral affect
- Ability to cope with strong emotions and physical outbursts of clients while remaining in a reasonable state of calm
- Ability to focus attention on client needs despite interruptions and multiple demands
- Uses appropriate and sensitive language when discussing and documenting patient’s personal factors example follows HIPAA and DEIJ considerations
- Completes accurate and timely documentation according to published standards and site requirements e.g. assessments, daily notes, weekly or monthly progress reports, goal writing, discharge notes
- Active listening skills are demonstrated e.g. making eye contact, asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing, nodding, matching affect to meet patient needs, demonstrating empathy and attentiveness
- Physical positioning between patient and OTAs
Safety Skills
The student must have the ability to:
- Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to provide a safe environment for the patient/client, self, and the healthcare team.
- Respond appropriately to threatening or emergent situations.
- Adhere to safety guidelines and regulations in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Adheres to safety regulations and reports/documents incidents appropriately e.g. universal precautions for infection control, facility procedures and policies, patient precautions, a clean and safe working environment
- Ensures safety of self and others by anticipating potentially unsafe situations by taking steps to prevent accidents e.g. good body mechanics, resident precautions, removing harmful objects in workspace, using clinical judgement to determine status changes of a patient, seeking assistance beyond level of expertise and discussing safety concerns with interprofessional team
- Adheres to dress code
Critical Thinking Skills
The student must have the ability to execute the following skills in a timely/immediate manner:
- Problem solve creatively.
- Make decisions based on data and policy.
- Analyze, synthesize, and interpret information.
- Make safe and appropriate decisions, including when under stressful situations.
- Acknowledge limitations of knowledge or performance ability (stay within scope of practice).
- Perform basic mathematical skills.
- Ability to do basic math including adding, subtracting multiplying and dividing with the use of a calculator in order to complete and score assessments and determine chronological vs developmental age
- Ability to tell time on a clock in order to complete accurate billing in both minutes and units
- Ability to manage and pace time within and between client sessions, and to start and end each session on time
- Ability to read tape measure or ruler to complete assessments
- Ability to read at a minimum of an 8th grade level with ability to understand charts, graphs, worksheets, in written and digital displays so as to read and understand basic medical information including basic safety precautions for clients and to read and interpret evidence-based research in order to select the best interventions for client treatment planning
- Establish a professional working relationship with the health care team, peers, instructors, patients, and families
- Adhere to AOTA’s Code of Ethics
- Demonstrate positive interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate impulse control and professional level of maturity
- Maintain appropriate boundaries in relationships with patients and peers
- Handle demanding and stressful situations
- Maintain confidential health care information (including by refraining from posting any confidential patient information on social media) e.g. HIPAA
Professionalism
The student must demonstrate:
- Integrity, moral reasoning, ethical behaviors, and concerns for others.
- Respect for diverse populations.
- Ability to adapt to changing environments.
- Ability to function effectively under stress.
- Confidentiality when working with diverse individuals and communities.
- Ability to accept constructive feedback and responsibility for own actions.
- Exhibit positive interpersonal skills
- Maintain confidentiality e.g. HIPAA, patient privacy, social media platforms
- Demonstrate ability to work as a team member
- Adhere to attendance, dress code, and personal hygiene policies
- Respond to challenging situations while maintaining composure and professionalism
- Adhere to AOTA’s Code of Ethics
- Maintains effective relationships through therapeutic use of self and adjusts approach to meet the needs of clients and others such as courteous behavior, accepts ambiguity, asks appropriate questions
- Manages personal affairs in a manner that does not interfere with professional responsibility
- Accepts feedback and modifies behaviors in a timely manner
- Takes responsibility for attaining professional competence by seeking out learning opportunities, outside resources, professional associations
- Uses appropriate and sensitive language (DEIJ)
Northwood Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to manage inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Amanda Gohde, Vice President, Talent & Culture, 1900 College Drive, Rice Lake WI 54868; Amanda.Gohde@NorthwoodTech.edu, phone: 715-645-7042.
