Professional healthcare providers are challenged in environments that demand certain abilities, behaviors and skills Here at Lipscomb University, the PA faculty have identified certain professional behaviors, abilities and skills that are essential for students to be able to successfully profess through the PA program so that each student can provide excellent care to patients. In order for a student to be eligible to enroll in the program, he or she must be able to perform these skills and behaviors successfully either unassisted, with dependable use of reasonable assistive devices, or by employing another reasonable accommodation. The following descriptions define the capabilities expected from an individual in order to successfully complete the Lipscomb University Physician Assistant Program.
Minimum Performance
All students must possess the skills related to critical thinking, communication, gross motor dexterity, fine motor coordination, interpersonal skills, observational abilities, and social skills in an individual, group, classroom, laboratory or other educational setting. All students must be able to effectively perform and function in settings that are solitary, small group, large groups, social environments, public space, or even very large classroom settings without disruption of other students, patients, faculty, or staff. All students must be able to function and remain calm within stressful situations while maintaining a calm temperament. All students must be able to attend classes and laboratory sessions and be present for examination and testing. All students must be able to perform overnight call when required on supervised clinical rotations.
Communication Skills
The PA student must be able to effectively hear, understand, speak, and observe patients in order to elicit history and other information necessary to interact with patients, students, faculty and staff. The student must be able to perceive nonverbal communication and cues, describe patient mood or changes, describe posture and appearance, and to interpret and describe patient activity and behavior. The PA student must be able to communicate in verbal, written, typed, and electronic manner that is effective, efficient and sensitive and in the English language. The PA student must be able to receive and give communication effectively to others in a professional manner. The PA student must be able to interact, communicate, and understand other students, clinicians, faculty, patients and their families in order to respond appropriately and in a timely fashion.
Intellectual Capabilities
The PA student must possess and demonstrate the physical, emotional, intellectual, compassionate and ethical capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum at normal pace with an on-time completion. The student must be able to learn, retain, and recall information and make a reasoned decision in a timely fashion. The student must be able to achieve a competent level of critical thinking and reasoning required to function in an entry level PA position. In order to achieve this level, the student must be able to perform in areas of reasoning, measurement, analysis, interpretation, synthesis, calculation and deduction. These skills must be evident in dealing with other students, faculty, staff, patients, patient families, and other health care professionals. Critical thinking and problem solving, while in stressful situations, are necessary to complete the program.
Interpersonal Abilities and Social Interactions
The PA student must be able to establish and maintain appropriate relationships in a professional manner with other students, faculty, staff, health care professional and patients, as well as patient families. This will encompass possessing the maturity and emotional health necessary to function within the health care and educational environments while achieving full utilization of his or her abilities, intellectual function, sound judgment, sensory input, critical thinking, and promptness. The student must be able to demonstrate compassion, empathy, responsibility and tolerance towards patients, families, faculty, staff, other students and colleagues. This includes the ability to remain calm and function at this level within stressful situations and with competing demands for the student's time and energies.
Fine and Gross Motor Skills and Strength
The interaction with patients and the demands of the health care and educational environments while in training and practice require strength, coordination and endurance of sufficient nature. The PA student should have sufficient fine and gross motor coordination to function within the patient care and educational environments that may include clutter, equipment, tables, family members, stairs, textbooks, supplies, and distractions.This includes the ability to ambulate, stand for long periods, concentrate, balance, interact, assist in movement, use of medical instruments, use of electronic devices, positioning of patients, and lifting of heavy objects. In general, a PA student should be able to safely lift 50+ pounds without any assistance or injury. Interaction within the environment may include classrooms, treatment rooms, laboratory space, patient rooms, waiting rooms, operating rooms, public spaces, stairwells, outdoor movement and any other space generally necessary to interact with and treat patients or interact in the educational environment. This interaction may require standing or sitting for very long periods of time without disruption or change in position. This interaction may require altering lighting including bright or fluorescent lights or low light conditions. All students must be able to travel to practicum and clinical rotation sites.
Observational Skills
The PA student must be able to observe a patient or simulated patient accurately. This should be able to occur in varying distances from up close to across a room or down a hallway. This includes appropriate vision or adjusted vision. The PA student must possess the visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory sensations sufficient enough to receive the sensory input in the classroom, clinical, laboratory or educational setting. These skills including the ability to inspect, palpate, percuss, and auscultate accurately during the physical examination.
