Technical Standards for Admission and Progression

The �鶹ֱ�� Department of Nursing does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If reasonable accommodations will allow an otherwise qualified student with a disability to meet these technical standards, reasonable accommodations will be provided. Students who require accommodations on the basis of disability should seek guidance from the �鶹ֱ�� Center for Accessibility Resources (CAR).

On occasion, a student’s ability to meet our technical standards may change during the course of their studies. In such instances, the student should notify the program as soon as possible. In addition, the student may request a reasonable accommodation seeking assistance through CAR. The student, CAR, and program leadership will work together to provide reasonable accommodation while still maintaining the technical standards. In the event that a student is not able to meet the technical standards with reasonable accommodation, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Performance Standards for Nursing

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) at �鶹ֱ�� has a responsibility to educate professionally competent nurses who provide evidence-based holistic nursing care to individuals, families, and/or communities using critical judgment, ethical reasoning, broad based knowledge, and technical skills. These abilities comprise performance standards for entry-level professional nursing practice.

These performance standards reflect a variety of cognitive, psychosocial, and motor skills required for successful student learning in the science and art of nursing. Individuals interested in applying for admission to an entry-level nursing program at the CNHS should review these performance standards to understand the abilities and behavioral characteristics required to successfully complete the programs.

Essential performance standards for nursing students include having the ability and skill to (1) acquire and utilize evidence-based knowledge; (2) develop skills to effectively communicate with patients/clients, co-workers, and the interdisciplinary team; (3) assess patient/client levels of illness and health in a variety of clinical settings; (4) interpret and utilize both primary and secondary data; (5) integrate knowledge to establish clinical judgment in order to provide evidence-based holistic nursing care; develop and implement holistic nursing interventions and plans of care; (6) provide safe humane nursing practice in a variety of settings using multiple healthcare technologies; (7) demonstrate ethical decision making; and (8) professional nursing behaviors.

These performance standards are compatible with the scope of practice as defined by the .

The examples in the following table show how a standard may be applied in entry level nursing education programs. Examples listed are for illustrative purposes only and not a complete list of tasks.

Reasonable accommodations to meet standards may be available for otherwise program-qualified individuals with disabilities. For information about disability services contact Center for Accessibility Resources.

Capability	Standard	Examples
Cognitive Perception	The ability to perceive events realistically, to think, clearly and rationally, and to function appropriately in routine and stressful situations. Students must be able to independently and accurately assess or contribute to the assessment of a client.	• Prioritize multiple nursing activities in a variety of situations
Critical Thinking—Careful thought, reasoned judgment. Differentiated from personal opinion and superficial memorization of facts by the ability to obtain and use an appropriate quantity and quality of data for a given situation.	Critical thinking skills demanded of nurses require the ability to learn and reason: to integrate, analyze and synthesize data concurrently. Students must be able to solve problems rapidly, consider alternatives and make decisions for managing or intervening in the care of a client.	• Make effective decisions in the classroom and in clinical sites. • Develop/contribute to nursing care plans that accurately reflect client concerns. • Make decisions reflective of classroom learning when in clinical and practicum sites.

Capability

Standard

Examples

Cognitive Perception

The ability to perceive events realistically, to think, clearly and rationally, and to function appropriately in routine and stressful situations. Students must be able to independently and accurately assess or contribute to the assessment of a client.

• Prioritize multiple nursing activities in a variety of situations

Critical Thinking—Careful thought, reasoned judgment. Differentiated from personal opinion and superficial memorization of facts by the ability to obtain and use an appropriate quantity and quality of data for a given situation.

Critical thinking skills demanded of nurses require the ability to learn and reason: to integrate, analyze and synthesize data concurrently. Students must be able to solve problems rapidly, consider alternatives and make decisions for managing or intervening in the care of a client.

• Make effective decisions in the classroom and in clinical sites.

• Develop/contribute to nursing care plans that accurately reflect client concerns.

• Make decisions reflective of classroom learning when in clinical and practicum sites.

Capability	Standard	Examples
Motor Skills	Ambulatory capability that is sufficient to maintain a center of gravity when met with an opposing force as in lifting, supporting, and/or transferring a client	• Position clients • Reach, manipulate, and operate equipment, instruments, and supplies e.g., syringes, sterile equipment, monitors • Perform/use electronic documentation • Lift, carry, push, and pull • Perform CPR
Mobility	Ambulatory capability sufficient to maintain a center of gravity when met with an opposing force as in lifting, supporting, and/or transferring a client	• Propel wheelchairs, stretchers, etc., alone or with assistance as available • Transport supplies to client room • Work around bedside with other personnel • Lift a minimum weight of 30 pounds • Move and lift clients in and out of bed, wheelchair, or cart • Assist with transfer and walking of patients who may require substantial support
Activity Tolerance	Ability to tolerate lengthy periods of physical activity	• Move quickly and/or continuously • Tolerate long periods of standing and/or sitting

Capability

Standard

Examples

Motor Skills

Ambulatory capability that is sufficient to maintain a center of gravity when met with an opposing force as in lifting, supporting, and/or transferring a client

• Position clients

• Reach, manipulate, and operate equipment, instruments, and supplies e.g., syringes, sterile equipment, monitors

• Perform/use electronic documentation

• Lift, carry, push, and pull

• Perform CPR

Mobility

Ambulatory capability sufficient to maintain a center of gravity when met with an opposing force as in lifting, supporting, and/or transferring a client

• Propel wheelchairs, stretchers, etc., alone or with assistance as available

• Transport supplies to client room

• Work around bedside with other personnel

• Lift a minimum weight of 30 pounds

• Move and lift clients in and out of bed, wheelchair, or cart

• Assist with transfer and walking of patients who may require substantial support

Activity Tolerance

Ability to tolerate lengthy periods of physical activity

• Move quickly and/or continuously

• Tolerate long periods of standing and/or sitting

Capability	Standard	Examples
Communication	Communicate in English with others in oral and written form. Able to communicate with clients and members of the health care team in order to plan and deliver safe care. Communicate effectively with clients who are not native English speakers using available resources including in person, phone, and online interpreters	• Utilize oral and written communication skills sufficiently for teaching/learning and for interaction with others • Read, understand, write, and speak English • Explain treatment procedures • Document client responses • Clarify communications received
Interpersonal Relationships	Interact with clients, families, staff, peers, instructors, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Build trusting and caring relationships through honesty, respect, integrity, and consistency.	• Establish rapport with clients, families, and colleagues • Respond in a professional/therapeutic manner to a variety of client expressions and behaviors

Capability

Standard

Examples

Communication

Communicate in English with others in oral and written form. Able to communicate with clients and members of the health care team in order to plan and deliver safe care.

Communicate effectively with clients who are not native English speakers using available resources including in person, phone, and online interpreters

• Utilize oral and written communication skills sufficiently for teaching/learning and for interaction with others

• Read, understand, write, and speak English

• Explain treatment procedures

• Document client responses

• Clarify communications received

Interpersonal Relationships

Interact with clients, families, staff, peers, instructors, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.

Build trusting and caring relationships through honesty, respect, integrity, and consistency.

• Establish rapport with clients, families, and colleagues

• Respond in a professional/therapeutic manner to a variety of client expressions and behaviors

Capability	Standard	Examples
Hearing	Auditory ability sufficient to hear normal conversation and/or assess health needs	• Monitor alarms, emergency signals, auscultatory sounds, cries for help, telephone interactions, and auditory dictation • Communicates with clients, families, and colleagues
Vision	Visual ability sufficient for observation, assessment, and performance of safe nursing care	• Observe client responses • Discriminate color changes • Read measurement on client-related equipment • Read medication label • Evaluate for a safe environment, client expressions, and behaviors
Tactile	Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment, inclusive of size, shape, temperature, and texture	• Perform palpation, e.g., pulse • Perform functions of physical examination and/or those related to therapeutic intervention, e.g., insertion of a catheter

Capability

Standard

Examples

Hearing

Auditory ability sufficient to hear normal conversation and/or assess health needs

• Monitor alarms, emergency signals, auscultatory sounds, cries for help, telephone interactions, and auditory dictation

• Communicates with clients, families, and colleagues

Vision

Visual ability sufficient for observation, assessment, and performance of safe nursing care

• Observe client responses

• Discriminate color changes

• Read measurement on client-related equipment

• Read medication label

• Evaluate for a safe environment, client expressions, and behaviors

Tactile

Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment, inclusive of size, shape, temperature, and texture

• Perform palpation, e.g., pulse

• Perform functions of physical examination and/or those related to therapeutic intervention, e.g., insertion of a catheter

Capability	Standard	Examples
Psychosocial Behaviors	Possess the emotional health required for full use of intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt and safe completion of all responsibilities	• Demonstrate professional abilities of trustworthiness, empathy, integrity, confidentiality, and acceptance. • Display flexibility • Function in the face of uncertainty and stressful situations

Capability

Standard

Examples

Psychosocial Behaviors

Possess the emotional health required for full use of intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt and safe completion of all responsibilities

• Demonstrate professional abilities of trustworthiness, empathy, integrity, confidentiality, and acceptance.

• Display flexibility

• Function in the face of uncertainty and stressful situations

Capability	Standard	Examples
Environmental Adaptability	Ability to tolerate environmental stressors	• Work with chemicals and detergents • Tolerate exposure to odors • Work in areas of potential physical violence • Work with infectious agents and blood-borne pathogens • Work in environments that may have allergens

Capability

Standard

Examples

Environmental Adaptability

Ability to tolerate environmental stressors

• Work with chemicals and detergents

• Tolerate exposure to odors

• Work in areas of potential physical violence

• Work with infectious agents and blood-borne pathogens

• Work in environments that may have allergens

A task force of representatives from nursing education in Minnesota developed these performance standards, titled Technical Standards.

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at �鶹ֱ�� retitled the Technical Standards Performance Standards and edited and updated the standards in Spring 2026.