Cardiac Sonography

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If a student has a documented learning disability, visual or hearing impairment, psychiatric issue, or other physical or psychological challenge that interferes with learning, the Center for Student Success (CSS) can arrange accommodations for each student’s classes in compliance with the American Disabilities Act. Based on the student’s particular needs, accommodations may include but are not limited to:

• Extended testing time
• Quiet testing location
• Assistive technology
• Note takers
• Alternative text formats
• Sign language interpreter

It is the student’s responsibility to self-disclose a disability. Once documentation has been provided, CSS can arrange accommodations with instructors each semester.

• Technical Standards for Admission to Nursing and Allied Health Programs

  The Nursing and Allied Health Department faculty has specified the following non-academic criteria which applicants generally are expected to meet in order to participate in the Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences programs and professional practice. These technical standards are necessary and essential and have been developed to provide for the health and safety of the patients receiving care from the Nursing and Allied Health Department program students.

  OBSERVATION – The applicant must be able to participate in all demonstrations, laboratory exercises and clinical practicum in the clinical component and to assess and comprehend the condition of all patients assigned for examination, diagnosis and treatment.

  • Vision sufficient to see fine detail, and sufficient to be able to read and accurately complete reports in charts, vision sufficient to differentiate shades of gray and color, to observe patient’s skin color, measuring exact amounts of parenteral medications and diagnostic real-time images.

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  COMMUNICATION – The applicant must be able to communicate with patients to effectively elicit patient compliance, understand and assess non-verbal communications; and be able to effectively transmit information to patients, physicians, paraprofessionals, faculty and staff in a timely way.

  • Speech sufficient to be understood by others; ability to understand the communication   with patient and health care team. Hearing sufficient to understand the spoken word, hear variations in physical assessment findings, auscultate lung sounds, hearts sounds, bowel sounds. Hearing sufficient to differentiate Doppler signals.

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  PSYCHOMOTOR – The applicant must have motor functions sufficient to elicit information from patients by appropriate diagnostic or therapeutic maneuvers; be able to perform basic tasks; possess all necessary skills to carry out diagnostic or therapeutic procedures; be able to interpret movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergent treatment/actions as necessary for patient safety and comfort.

  • Physical coordination including fine motor functions sufficient to perform procedures accurately, operation of instrument panels, position patient efficiently and safely
  • Sufficient muscle strength and lower back and knee stability to lift patients in a safe manner, physically assisting patients, moving beds and equipment. Able to stoop when necessary.

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  INTELLECTUAL / CONCEPTUAL INTEGRATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ABILITIES – The applicant must be able to measure, calculate reason, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information and observations. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of Allied Health Practitioners, requires all of these cognitive abilities. In addition, the applicant must be able to comprehend three-dimensional structures and understand the spatial relationships of these structures.

  • Sufficient psychological stability and knowledge of techniques/resources to be able to respond appropriately and efficiently in emergent situations in order to minimize dangerous consequences either patient related or environment related.

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  BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES – The applicant must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of intellectual abilities; execute appropriate medical judgment; the prompt completion of assigned or non-assigned responsibilities for care of and service to the patient; and the development of supportive and effective relationships with patients. Applicants must be able to tolerate physical and mental workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments and conditions, display flexibility and function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical setting and with patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interest and motivation are personal qualities with each applicant should possess.

  • Sufficient endurance to walk for extended periods of time, up to twelve hours per day.
  • Ability to learn technical, medical, and pathophysiological information.
  • Free of Chemical Impairment during participation in program including classroom, laboratory and clinical settings.

  You need to be able to perform each of these tasks with or without accommodation. If an accommodation is necessary because of a disability it is your responsibility to provide documentation and to request accommodation. The college will endeavor to satisfy requests for reasonable accommodations however it is not guaranteed.

• Technical Standards for Degree Completion in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

  Technical Standards and Functions that are required to complete a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

  Standards	Functions
  Vision sufficient to differentiate shades of gray and color and to observe diagnostic real-time images.  Vision sufficient to delineate ill-defined structures, borders, anatomical structures and pathological entities in three-dimensional projections.	Scanning with real-time Sonography system for the purpose of delineating normal anatomical structures from abnormal pathological entities.
  Vision sufficient to be able to read and accurately complete reports and charts.	Reading and completing of charts, reports and interpretation of requisitions.
  Speech sufficient to be understood by others; ability to understand the communication of others.	Communicating with patients, and other health care professionals.
  Hearing sufficient to differentiate Doppler signals.	Conduct Doppler studies of anatomical arterial and venous structures for the purpose of diagnosing abnormal blood flows and pathological states.
  Vision and physical coordination sufficient to perform scanning tasks accurately, efficiently and safely.	Manipulating of transducer while observing real-time image and conducting diagnostic study.
  Sufficient fine motor functions and coordination to perform tasks involving manipulation of scan probes, instrument panels, patient position and safety.	Obtaining diagnostic real-time images for diagnostic interpretation.
  Sufficient muscle strength, lower back and knee stability to handle patients in a safe manner.	Lifting and transferring of patients, physically assisting patients, moving and manipulation of ultra-Sonography systems.
  Sufficient psychological stability and knowledge of techniques/resources to be able to respond appropriately and efficiently in emergent situations in order to minimize dangerous consequences either patient related or environment related.	Recognizing and responding appropriately in emergency situations.
  Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time, up to 7-8 hours per day.	Scanning requires sitting or standing for extended periods of time.
  Ability to learn technical, medical, and pathophysiological information.	Completion of clinical and didactic components of program requires ability to learn.

  You need to be able to perform each of these tasks with or without accommodation.  If an accommodation is necessary because of a disability it is your responsibility to provide documentation and to request accommodation.  The college will endeavor to satisfy requests for reasonable accommodations however it is not guaranteed.

• Apply for Testing Accommodations

  American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) provides reasonable testing accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Having a diagnosed impairment does not necessarily mean that an individual is disabled as defined by the ADA, and not all disabilities require test accommodations.

  Test accommodations are adjustments or modifications of standard testing conditions designed to allow candidates with disabilities to take the examination without compromising its validity, providing an unfair advantage to disabled candidates or imposing undue burdens on ARDMS.

  If you are an Applicant seeking accommodation, you must submit, along with your completed application:

  1. An original letter, dated within the past five years and typed on official letterhead, from a qualified physician or health provider who specializes in the disability. This letter must document the disability and its severity, describe the applicant’s limitation due to the disability, and state exactly what accommodations are recommended. The letter must contain an original signature and the physician’s or health professional’s credentials;
  2. An original, current, detailed, comprehensive medical evaluation/ report of the diagnosed disability from the physician or health professional, dated within the past five years; and
  3. A completed ARDMS Special Accommodations Questionnaire which must be submitted each time you apply for examination.

  Review of applications containing a request to receive ADA accommodations may require an additional 30 days to be completed.

  Documentation submitted by an applicant in support of a request is reviewed by ARDMS and may be forwarded to an independent medical expert for impartial professional review.

  ARDMS may request additional documentation to support the request. All information will be kept confidential and will be used only to determine what, if any, test accommodations will be made.

  Approved accommodations will be included in the Examination Confirmation Letter,  sent to you via email and also available through MY ARDMS account, under “My Examinations/Application Status” found under the “Application Center” tab. The email will include the test vendor’s telephone number and you should call the test vendor to schedule an examination appointment with the approved accommodations.

  Note: All supporting documentation must be received before processing. Incomplete or illegible applications or questionnaires may be refunded, minus the non-refundable examination processing fee per examination.

  ARDMS Americans with Disabilities Act Information