Health Requirements and Technical Standards

All candidates and enrolled students must meet health and technical standards to be admitted to, participate in, and graduate from the education programs of KCU. All applicants receiving supplementary application materials for admission will be asked to certify, via the Technical Standards Certification Form, that they have reviewed the University’s Minimum Technical Standards printed in this catalog. If the student is accepted to the program, the student will be required to complete a Post-Admissions

Questionnaire requesting information regarding mental and/or physical limitations that may require accommodations while attending the University. Students bear the responsibility for full disclosure of a disability and the request for reasonable accommodations.

Reasonable accommodation will be made as required by law; however, the candidate/student must be able to meet all technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation. Please refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Requests for accommodation should be directed to the KCU disability services coordinator, [email protected]. More information can be found here.

An applicant, as well as an enrolled student anesthesiologist assistant must have abilities and skills in the areas described below and meet the standards described as an obligation to patients that they will interact with as an SAA and to society as the recipient of a MHS-AA degree upon graduation.

The use of a trained intermediary necessarily requires that a candidate’s judgment be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation, and is not a permissible accommodation. Enrolled students who are unable to meet these standards will be asked to appear before the Student Progress Committee (SPC), recommended for assessment of their abilities, remediation or may be dismissed from the program. 

Health Requirements

Immunizations

Students who project themselves as future health care professionals are obligated to protect their health and the health of their future patients. All matriculating students at KCU are required to be vaccinated in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immunization guidelines. These guidelines change and are updated periodically, and applicants and students are expected to be knowledgeable regarding the current CDC guidelines for health care workers found on their website: www.cdc.gov. KCU students are responsible for maintaining a current and thoroughly documented official record of immunizations.

Applicants and enrolled students must satisfy all requirements for immunizations at the time of admission and throughout the program. SAAs, interacting with patients in hospitals and in clinics, are exposed to a variety of infectious agents. Although universal precautions are required in many of these encounters, the risk of infection is still increased. To protect the student, and to prevent the spread of disease to patients, students must satisfy the immunization requirements. Failure to do so will prevent matriculation or in the case of an enrolled student, lead to dismissal.

Exposure to Pathogens

Healthcare students who have direct contact with patients are at risk for occupational exposure to pathogenic organisms. Exposure can occur via contact with blood and other body fluids and tissues, airborne and droplet transmission, and needle stick or other penetration of the skin.

The MHS-AA program and KCU promote the safety of students through mandatory training in universal precautions and other work-safety measures, and clinical sites provide OSHA-mandated safety and personal protection equipment (PPE). In the event of a known or suspected exposure, students adhere to the protocol of either KCU student health or the clinical site, depending on the site where the exposure occurred.

Exposures During Pregnancy

Certain risks exist for pregnant people in healthcare environments, including exposure to communicable diseases, anesthetic gases and vapors, caustic agents, and radiation. The program will work to minimize risks for pregnant students. A student who knows or has reason to believe that they may be pregnant should speak with the program director as soon as possible to review the student's clinical assignments, make indicated changes and inform the clinical sites as necessary.

Substance Abuse

Both anesthesiologists and anesthetists are at greater risk for substance abuse than practitioners in other medical specialties or individuals in the general population. Handling and administering controlled substances occur daily in the practice of anesthesia, and current literature suggests that individuals with a history of substance abuse of any kind are more likely to develop a drug abuse problem if they enter the field of anesthesiology.

If at any time during your enrollment you realize that you are using alcohol excessively or that you are suffering from any form of drug abuse, you must adhere to the KCU Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy and Student Code of Conduct.

Technical Standards

The MHS-AA program and KCU have an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom students and graduates will come into contact. Essential abilities required for completion of the degree consist of physical and cognitive abilities, including sufficient mental and emotional stability, to ensure that candidates for admission, promotion, and graduation can complete all requirements and fully participate in all aspects of anesthesiologist assistant training, with or without reasonable accommodation. Individuals whose performance is impaired by abuse of alcohol or other substances are not suitable candidates for admission, promotion or graduation.

Observation

Physical diagnosis and intraoperative assessment are based upon one’s ability to see, hear, touch, and interact with patients. Applicants and enrolled students must be able to directly and accurately observe patients and assess findings. Direct observation of body position, facial expression, skin color, range of motion, eye position, dentition, etc., are just a few examples of the necessary capability a student must have to master the requirement of preanesthetic evaluation, intraoperative assessment, and subsequent management. Students must be able to observe demonstrations, experiments, and patients in the basic and clinical sciences. This includes but is not limited to the ability to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Observation requires the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensations. Students must be able to recognize and differentiate colors of items displayed on patient monitors and anesthesia machines, hear and respond to alarms and work in both light and dark conditions.

Communication

Applicants and enrolled students must be able to speak, hear, and observe patients and patient monitors to elicit information; describe changes in vital signs and activity; and perceive nonverbal communications. A student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, their families and other health care professionals. Students must be able to hear and speak in emergency situations (a member of a cardiac arrest team, emergency surgery and labor and delivery are some examples). Communication (in English) includes speech, hearing, reading and writing. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively in verbal and written form with all members of the healthcare team.

Sensory/Motor

Applicants and enrolled students must have sufficient motor function to elicit information by palpation, auscultation, and percussion as well as other diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers. A student should be able to perform basic diagnostic and therapeutic tasks, including invasive procedures, on patients in a timely manner to ensure the safety of patients and coworkers. Examples of tasks include bag-mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, vascular access, arterial and central venous catheterization, nerve and neuraxial blocks, and read EKGs and medical images. A student must be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide anesthesia care to patients, which actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, the ability to stand and equilibrium with the functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Conceptual, Integrative, & Quantitative Abilities

Applicants and enrolled students must possess conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities, including measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of clinicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, students must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationship of structures. Students must be able to sit in a classroom or stand in the operating room to participate in a full 10-hour day. The practice of anesthesiology requires periods of distinct concentration. SAAs must be capable of extended periods of intense concentration and attention, especially in emergency situations and environments with numerous distractors.

Behavior & Social Attributes

Applicants and enrolled students must have the emotional health required for full use of the intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Students must be able to tolerate physically and mentally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. responsibilities. Students must be able to contribute to collaborative, constructive learning environments, accept constructive feedback from others, and take personal responsibility for making appropriate positive changes. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admission and educational processes.