MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY
POLICY # 23
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS and RESPONSIBILITIES
Purpose:
In compliance with Title III of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, this document presents a list of essential functions for students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at
Misericordia University.
Definition:
Essential functions are defined as the requisites that all diagnostic medical sonographers and students must possess and have the capacity to complete with or without reasonable accommodations.
Introduction:
The practice of diagnostic medical sonography requires the individual to be proficient in the three learning domains; affective, cognitive and psychomotor. In addition to these domains, the student sonographer must comply with the Profession’s Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics, along with a behavior that reflects honesty, integrity, and positive reputation. Each and every patient must receive a high level of quality care and an accurate outcome of a diagnostic medical sonogram.
Affective Domain

Interact effectively and sensitively using appropriate verbal, nonverbal, and written communication with faculty, colleagues, other members of the health care team, and patients/clients, and caregivers.
 Read, write and interpret written and nonverbal communication at a competency level that allows one to safely function in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings.
 Recognize the impact and influence of age, lifestyle, family or peer support, socioeconomic class, culture, beliefs, race, and abilities on faculty, peers, other members of the health care team, and patients/clients, and caregivers.
 Emotional health for utilization of intellect, the exercise of good judgment, prompt completion of responsibilities and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with others.
Ability to retain emotional composure when dealing with patients with acute and chronic illnesses, pathologies and poor prognosis.
 Accept personal responsibility for all actions, reactions, and inactions.

Demonstrate responsibility for self-assessment, professional growth and development.
 Effectively and consistently manage personal stress and appropriately respond to the stress of others.
 Speak and write effectively in English to convey information to other individuals and groups.

Cognitive Domain

Comprehend, retain, recall, and apply complex information learned in required professional courses.

Read, comprehend, integrate, critically analyze, interpret, and apply information from written materials, demonstrations, lectures, laboratory sessions, and research literature, and other pertinent sources to develop and support the rationale for appropriate patient examination indications, clinical history, and sonographic findings.

Collect, organize, prioritize and document information to make safe, appropriate and timely decisions regarding patient care for the purposes of examination and communication to the interpreting physician.
 Efficiently organize and prioritize multiple tasks, integrate and critically analyze information, and formulate applicable decisions.
Psychomotor Domain

The capacity to prepare for and respond to the challenges of any environment that requires a readiness for immediate and appropriate response. This requires training for emergencies as delineated within specific clinical environments (e.g., CPR, infection control), and a readiness and willingness to respond as needed.

The physical ability to assist patients on and off examination tables, transfer patients from transport device to table, push and/or pull transport devices, and sonographic equipment. The approximate lifting capacity is 50 pounds.

Physical mobility and dexterity to stand 50% of the day; bend, kneel or squat; arms to extend 120 degrees to axis of the body; wrists to pivot; and fingers to grasp sonographic equipment.

Visual ability to differentiate black, white, shades of gray and colors as related to sonographic imaging.

Hearing ability to respond to patient and healthcare team needs and for differentiation of audible
Doppler signals
Process:
Students must have their physician complete the program’s medical form which requires the physician to attest the student’s ability to perform the essential functions listed above. It is the student’s responsibility to disclose any documented learning disabilities to their medical physician prior to completion of form.
Changes in physical, mental, or emotional status that may prompt a request for reasonable accommodations must be communicated to the Department Chair.

If a student cannot demonstrate the skills and abilities listed above, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the Chair of Sonography prior to the start of the sonography program to discuss the procedural steps to request an appropriate accommodation in either the educational or clinical environment. The
University uses independent clinical education sites that may or may not be willing or able to offer the same reasonable accommodations that are made available by the University.
For more information regarding requesting reasonable accommodations refer to the current Misericordia University
Undergraduate Catalog or contact the Assistant Dean of Students at (570) 674-6304.
Reasonable accommodations cannot be made retroactively. This means if the student fails to request accommodations and does not meet the standards defined for successful completion of an assignment, examination, practical examination or clinical education experience the student will be subject to the policies and procedures defined in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Student Handbook and Clinical
Education Manual or respective course syllabi regarding these matters.
Revised for DMS: 3/03, 5/03, 9/07, 11/10, 5/15