Health Sciences Introduction

Qualified health care professionals are essential in today's society. Southeastern Tech's Health Sciences Division currently offers degree, diploma and certificate programs in health care. These programs provide classroom instruction, as well as laboratory and/or clinical experiences, to make certain that students obtain the most current skills in their chosen health profession. Students interested in Health Sciences programs may obtain admission requirements information from the Admissions Office.

General Education Core Competencies

The overall goal of a college education is to help students become productive citizens. The General Education core contributes to this concept by providing a variety of learning experiences which ensure that graduates are intellectually prepared for lifelong learning.

STC has identified the following general education core competencies that graduates will attain.

• The ability to utilize standard written English.
• The ability to solve practical mathematical problems.
• The ability to read, analyze, and interpret information.

Technical Standards and Clinical Requirements for Health Sciences Education

Southeastern Technical College has a moral and ethical responsibility to select, educate, and graduate competent and safe students/practitioners. The College has identified core performance standards critical to the success of students in the health sciences programs. These standards are designed not to be exclusionary, but to establish performance expectations that will enable students to provide safe professional practice with or without reasonable accommodations. All students enrolled in a health science program will be asked to review the provided core performance standards and clinical requirements and sign a form certifying they have read, understand, and are able to meet the standards and requirements as follows. The health science programs are prepared to provide reasonable accommodations to accepted students who have documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must follow the College's procedures outlined the Student Affairs section of the catalog upon enrollment in program courses.

Program Core Performance Standards

The Health Sciences program curriculums require students to engage in diverse complex, and specific experiences essential to the acquisition of essential professional skills. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical, and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these functions. In addition to being essential in the successful completion of the program’s requirements, these functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of patients, fellow classmates, faculty, and other healthcare providers. Please be informed that certain physical and mental abilities are essential to function as a student and in professional practice. The essential qualifications that students must demonstrate include but are not limited to the following:

1. Students must have the intellectual, conceptual, and critical thinking abilities to assess, analyze, reason and synthesize data in order to draw sound conclusions and make clinical decisions. Students must be able to problem solve as well as obtain, interpret, and document information.
2. Students must have effective oral and written communication skills in order to accurately transmit information appropriate to the ability of patients, colleagues, and other healthcare workers. Students must be able to read and write legibly in English with proper spelling of medical terms.
3. Students must have gross and fine motor skills sufficient to lift and operate equipment and provide safe and effective patient care. Students must assist or move patients from wheelchairs and/or beds, when necessary, using proper body mechanics. Students must also have the motor skills necessary to perform basic life support and first aid in event of an emergency situation.
4. Students must have interpersonal skills such that they are capable of interacting with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
5. Students must have the physical mobility necessary to move from place to place in small spaces as well as full range of motion.
6. Students must have physical endurance that enables them to stay on task for a prolonged period while sitting, standing, or moving.
7. Students must have the visual and perceptual abilities sufficient for observation and treatment of patients. Students must have the ability to discriminate between subtle changes in a patient clinically and be prompt and assertive actions to resolve problems.
8. Students’ auditory ability and other sensory skills must be sufficient to monitor and assess the health needs of patients as well as maintain patient safety.
9. Students must demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors. Students must be able to use reasonable judgment under stressful conditions that impact patient care. Students must be able to tolerate taxing workloads, function effectively under stress and time constraints, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical problems of many patients. Students must be able to work independently as a member of a team to maintain the highest ethical standards in relation to quality care. Students must possess attributes such as compassion, empathy, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and tolerance. Students must be able to present a professional appearance, and maintain personal health.

These core performance standards are not intended to be a complete listing of practice behaviors, but a sample of the types of abilities needed by the student to meet program objectives and requirements. If for any reason the student cannot meet any of these core performance standards, please contact the respective Program Director so that individual situations may be assessed.

Bloodborne/Airborne Pathogen Exposure

An inherent risk with any health science profession is the possibility for exposure to blood borne and infectious diseases. Southeastern Technical College's Exposure Control Plan is designed to provide the faculty and students with recognition of tasks, procedures, and activities which present the potential for occupational exposure to blood and air-borne pathogens and a means of eliminating or minimizing exposures in the performance of their instructional duties or activities. Each Health Science program at Southeastern Technical College follows all state and federal regulations for the protection of faculty, students, patients, and staff. A complete manual of our compliance policies and procedures is available in each classroom and laboratory or upon request.

Special Note

Conviction of a felony could prevent a health science program student from participating in any clinical experience if the student does not meet the clinical affiliate’s requirements. Furthermore, other negative background check information (misdemeanors included) may also prevent clinical participation. If a student is unable to complete the clinical component, he or she will be withdrawn from the enrolled course and be unable to complete the program. Additionally, conviction of a felony could make a student ineligible to take the licensing exam(s) required by the profession upon graduation. Early notification to the appropriate board may be required. Specific licensing board requirements and contact information may be found on respective websites.

Allied Health Math Applications – ALMA 1000 Requirement

The ALMA 1000 course is an institutional non-credit course that will assist specific Health Science program students succeed in their chosen program of study. ALMA 1000 is a requirement for all students who are pursuing a specific Health Science program study track. Health Science students should consult their advisor and/or their Health Science program catalog listing for specific program admission requirements.

Capstone Courses

An integral part of a student's education as they move through a given program of study is the ability to transfer and apply knowledge to the workplace. As a key component of degree, diploma and select technical certificates, capstone courses have been identified which include any of the following: a specific exit exam, project, portfolio, or skills check-off, etc. measuring student knowledge. When students are able to pass the exit assessment, they demonstrate they have retained knowledge throughout their program of study which will carry over to their chosen career. Students who do not pass the exit assessment will not be able to graduate and the capstone course will need to be repeated and passed along with the exit assessment.

In instances in which a student transfers from another college (having taken a course there-which is a capstone course here) into the same program at STC, they will need to complete STC's program exit assessment. This will be a requirement before credit for the course is given. In cases in which a student transfers from another college that has a capstone course for same program, the student will need to take the exit assessment for STC's designated capstone course. Students who do not pass this assessment will not be able to graduate and the capstone course will need to be repeated and passed along with the exit assessment.

For any questions regarding STC's capstone courses, please see your program advisor.