Essential Skills and Abilities by Program
Applying to one of our Health Professions Programs? Check the essential skills and abilities required for your program below.
All students in the LCC Dental Assisting Program must be able to perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
Visual Requirements
- Normal or corrected visual acuity sufficient for observation of oral conditions and for patient assessment
- High level of hand-eye coordination necessary for extremely fine motor control
- Ability to visually differentiate the color spectrum for tissue conditions and changes
- Ability to discern subtle changes in radiographic density
- Ability to clearly see the patient's teeth from a 20-inch distance
Auditory Requirements
- Correctable hearing in at least one ear and ability to develop reasonable skills of percussion and auscultation
Motor Skills
- Gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective patient care
- Full manual dexterity including the functioning of both arms, both wrists, both hands and all fingers.
- Tactile ability sufficient for the use of small instruments with control sufficient for instrumentation
- Ability to manipulate clinical and laboratory instruments and syringes with sufficient fine motor control to operate in a safe manner to avoid patient injury
Physical Strength and Endurance
- Motor skills sufficient to render clinical dental treatment
- Physical strength to move themselves (by walker, cane or crutches if necessary) to a position enabling them to provide dental care
- Physical strength to assist a patient in transferring themselves to and from a dental chair
- Physical strength needed to perform CPR for an extended period of time
- Ability to remain continuously on task for several hours while sitting, standing or moving
Communication Skills
- Abilities sufficient for effective interaction with others in spoken and written English
- Ability to accurately transfer gathered data into a patient record
- Ability to read and understand technical and professional materials
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, confidentiality and respect when speaking with patients, peers, faculty and staff
Intellectual, Conceptual and Cognitive Skills
- Ability to distinguish normal from abnormal
- Ability to comprehend, reason, integrate, analyze, evaluate and problem solve
- Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to comprehend three-dimensional relationships
Professional Attitude and Demeanor
- Ability to present professional appearance
- Ability to implement measures to maintain own physical and mental health and emotional stability
- Emotional and mental health necessary to effectively apply knowledge and exercise appropriate judgment
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability
- Ability to practice honest and ethical behavior and accountability
- Ability to self-evaluate
- Ability to demonstrate respect for individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, religion and/or sexual orientation
All students in the LCC Dental Hygiene Program must be able to perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
Visual Requirements
- Normal or corrected visual acuity sufficient for observation of oral conditions and for patient assessment
- High level of hand-eye coordination necessary for extremely fine motor control
- Ability to visually differentiate the color spectrum for tissue conditions and changes
- Ability to discern subtle changes in radiographic density
- Ability to clearly see the patient's teeth from a 20-inch distance
Auditory Requirements
- Correctable hearing in at least one ear and ability to develop reasonable skills of percussion and auscultation
Motor Skills
- Gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective patient care
- Possession of adequate sensory perception in hands and fingers in order to detect and remove tooth deposits
- Full manual dexterity including the functioning of both arms, both wrists, both hands and all fingers.
- Tactile ability sufficient for the use of small instruments with control sufficient for instrumentation
- Ability to manipulate clinical and laboratory instruments and syringes with sufficient fine motor control to operate in a safe manner to avoid patient injury
Physical Strength and Endurance
- Motor skills sufficient to render clinical dental hygiene treatment
- Physical strength to move themselves (by walker, cane or crutches if necessary) to a position enabling them to provide dental care
- Physical strength to assist a patient in transferring themselves to and from a dental chair
- Physical strength needed to perform CPR for an extended period of time
- Ability to remain continuously on task for several hours while sitting, standing or moving
Communication Skills
- Abilities sufficient for effective interaction with others in spoken and written English
- Ability to accurately transfer gathered data into a patient record
- Ability to read and understand technical and professional materials
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, confidentiality and respect when speaking with patients, peers, faculty and staff
Intellectual, Conceptual, and Cognitive Skills
- Ability to distinguish normal from abnormal
- Ability to comprehend, reason, integrate, analyze, evaluate and problem solve
- Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to comprehend three-dimensional relationships
Professional Attitude and Demeanor
- Ability to present professional appearance
- Ability to implement measures to maintain own physical and mental health and emotional stability
- Emotional and mental health necessary to effectively apply knowledge and exercise appropriate judgment
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability
- Ability to practice honest and ethical behavior and accountability
- Ability to self-evaluate
- Ability to demonstrate respect for individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, religion and/or sexual orientation
Vision Requirements:
- Ability to read instruments, scales, charts and graphs, prepare and maintain records.
- Ability to see in color, read fine print on labels, medication orders, instrument measurements, medical charts and computer monitors.
- Recognize emergency situations and be able to take effective and appropriate action.
Hearing/Speech Requirements:
- Sufficient/correctable hearing ability to interview and take patient histories, respond to patients and co-workers, and provide medical instruction.
- Ability to accurately hear patient heart/blood pressure sounds.
Motor Skills:
- Fine motor skills necessary to carry out diagnostic and clinical procedures.
- Ability to manipulate clinical and laboratory instruments and syringes with sufficient fine motor control to operate in a safe manner to avoid patient injury.
- Manual dexterity to perform phlebotomy, electrocardiography and medication administration safely and accurately.
Physical Strength and Endurance:
- Ability to support patients when ambulating and assist patients in and out a wheelchair and on and off an exam table.
- Ability to stand, walk and sit for long periods of time; ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, pull and reach equipment and patient supplies.
- Physically be able to respond to emergency situations in a timely fashion.
- Physical strength needed to perform CPR for an extended period of time.
Communication Skills:
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, confidentiality and respect when speaking with patients, peers, faculty and staff.
- Ability to handle difficult interpersonal situations in a calm and tactful manner.
- Utilize strong patient assessment skills, including assessing nonverbal communication.
- Ability to obtain and document patient history and current complaints.
- Effectively communicate in spoken and written English with patients and members of the health-care team, using correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.
- Communicate effectively via phone, receiving, organizing, prioritizing and transmitting important information, and perform medical transcription.
- Ability to understand and work under the direction of the physician and carry out written and verbal instructions.
Intellectual and Cognitive Abilities:
- Ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate and apply information.
- Ability to problem solve clinical situations.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to read and understand technical and professional materials.
Technical Aptitude:
- Ability to use multi-line telephones, computer, fax, and copier
- Strong keyboarding skills (35+wpm) and Microsoft Windows
- Ability to quickly learn to use hospital clinical equipment
- Proficiency in charting, documentation and using electronic health record systems.
Environmental Safety:
- Ability to protect self and others from environmental risks and hazards.
- Ability to follow proper hand-washing, germicide and bodily fluid precautions and techniques.
Professional Attitude and Demeanor:
- Demonstrate professional demeanor and behavior, exhibiting compassion, integrity and concern for others.
- Perform duties in an ethical manner in all dealings with peers, faculty, staff and patients.
- Possess the emotional and mental health necessary to effectively apply knowledge, and exercise appropriate judgment in the care of patients.
- Learn to function effectively under stress, and face the uncertainties and ambiguities inherent in clinical/patient situations.
- Ability to present a professional appearance.
- Ability to self-evaluate and implement measures to maintain own physical and mental health and emotional stability.
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in changing environments.
- Develop mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and other healthcare workers.
- Ability to demonstrate respect for individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, religion and/or sexual orientation
Technical Standards provide every student with information about cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills, abilities, and behaviors essential for achieving program learning outcomes with or without reasonable accommodations. PTA program standards are categorized as follows:
Intellectual-Cognitive
Behavioral-Social
Communication
Observation and Awareness
Movement Functions
Professional Attributes
Students must have the capacity, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform these standard-based skills throughout their enrollment in the program. Candidates for the physical therapist assistant degree must be able to demonstrate Technical Standards and behaviors consistent with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant.
Technical Standards should not serve as a deterrent to any prospective applicant with disabilities who desires to pursue education to become a PTA. Applicants with disabilities bring unique perspectives that contribute to the diversity of the prospective PTA student population and will create a diverse healthcare workforce of culturally competent practitioners who can meet the needs of patients and clients.
Intellectual-Cognitive
Students must interpret, assimilate, and understand complex curricular information, including, but not limited to, the ability to comprehend 3-dimensional relationships, understand the spatial relationships of structures, synthesize information both in person and remote via technology use, interpret data to make conclusions, and make evidence-informed decisions.
Behavioral-Social
Students must possess the psychological ability required for the full utilization of their intellectual abilities, for the exercise of good judgment, for the completion of all responsibilities inherent to implementing the physical therapy plan of care, and for the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, colleagues, and other health care providers. They must be able to tolerate physically and mentally taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to a changing environment, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients and the greater healthcare context.
Communication
Students should be able to communicate with patients to elicit information, detect changes in mood and activity, and establish a therapeutic relationship. Students should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and all members of the healthcare team.
Observation and Awareness
Students should be able to collect and accurately interpret information from classroom and clinical environments whether delivered in-person or remotely. In the clinical setting, students must be able to observe and assess patient performance and function and prevent injury to themselves and others. These skills require the use, or functional equivalent of the senses: hearing, vision, and/or touch.
Movement Functions
Students must possess sufficient movement functions to effectively manage the patient encounter from plan of care review through intervention. Students must be able to provide general and therapeutic care that is safe for the patient, any caregivers, and themselves. This includes but is not limited to, the performance, description, or direction of others to safely lift, transfer, guard, and position patients. In addition, many physical therapy interventions require advanced hands-on skills to safely perform patient care including manual therapy, wound care, and treatments that use accessory devices, such as therapeutic aids and orthotics/prosthetics.
Students may be assisted by an untrained aide in performing certain physical functions, such as lifting and carrying, provided they are able to give the aide clear instructions to perform the physical function, and that the aide provides no assistance in behavioral or cognitive functions.
Professional Attributes
Students must maintain and display ethical behaviors commensurate with the role of a PTA in all interactions with patients, faculty, staff, students, clinical colleagues, and the public. The student is expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the scope of physical therapy and function within the legal, and ethical standards, and core values of the physical therapy profession. These abilities or attributes involve demonstrating behaviors consistent with ethical and legal standards and professionalism and abiding by clinical facility policies and procedures.
Accessibility and Accommodations:
Lane Community College (LCC) is dedicated to providing inclusive learning environments. The Center for Accessible Resources (CAR) coordinates all academic accommodations for students at LCC. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a disability, to request assistance or accommodations, contact the Center for Accessible Resources at (541) 463-5150 or accessibleresources@lanecc.edu.