Essential Skills Required

Students must possess the following abilities or be able to perform the skills using compensatory techniques and/or adaptive devices. These essentials abilities include:

Physical Skills
Cognitive/Behavioral Skills

Physical Skills:

The ability to safely bend, twist, and lift to assist a patient moving from one surface to another.
The ability to apply manual resistance to a patient’s arm, leg or trunk during exercise.
The ability to perform chest compressions necessary for CPR.
The coordination, balance, and strength to safely guard and protect a patient negotiating stairs with an assistive device.
The ability to crouch, kneel, reach, push/pull, and crawl to perform exercises with patients.
The ability to climb when instructing or assisting a patient on the stairs.
The agility to move quickly to ensure patient safety.
The physical capacity to work a 40 hour week during clinical affiliations.
Sufficient manual dexterity to safely grasp and manipulate small objects and dials.
The ability to identify color changes on the skin.
The ability to visually observe and assess a patient 10 feet away.
The visual acuity to set and read scales, dials and digital displays on equipment, and to read from the medical record.
The ability to respond quickly to a visual or auditory timer.
The ability to respond quickly to a patient call button (visual or auditory).
The ability to hear heart and lung sounds.
The ability to hear and respond to monitors, calls for assistance, timers, and verbal directions.
The ability to detect odors such as equipment burning, smoke, spills, environmental hazards, and pathophysiological conditions.
The ability to feel pulse, muscle tone, and bony landmarks.
The ability to hold and use a writing instrument for documentation.

Cognitive/Behavioral Skills

The ability to collect and integrate data about patients to problem solve safely and effectively as a PTA student.
The ability to handle the emotional stress of working with patients in need of compassionate health care.
The ability to read and comprehend patient information.
The ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
The ability to interact effectively with patients, families, supervisors, and co-workers regardless of their race, sex, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
The ability to maintain personal hygiene consistent with the close personal contact associated with patient care.
To abide by the policies and procedures of CCRI, as detailed in the CCRI Student Handbook, and policies of the Rehabilitative Health Department and PTA Program.
To render assistance to individuals of all cultures from across the lifespan without prejudice.
To comprehend and effectively communicate in the English language (orally and in writing), using appropriate grammar and vocabulary.
The ability to portray professional behavior in all areas, including professional presentation, academic and professional responsibility, ethics, and commitment to learning.