Performance Requirements: Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)

• Program: Dental Assistant (Registered Dental Assistant)
• Pathway: Health Science

You must meet the following performance requirements to ensure patient safety and welfare during your time in our program and throughout your career.

Physical Requirements

You must have:

• Visual acuity (with corrective lenses if needed) to:
  • Identify cyanosis
  • Observe absence of respiratory movement in patients
  • See adverse skin reactions to treatments
  • Read very fine print on:
    • Medication containers
    • Dentist’s orders
    • Monitors and equipment
• Hearing ability (with auditory aids if needed) to:
  • Understand the normal speaking voice without viewing the speaker’s face
  • Hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, equipment timers, and alarms
  • Take / hear blood pressure
• Manual dexterity to:
  • Use sterile techniques
  • Prepare needles and syringes
  • Manipulate and assemble equipment for use
• Physical ability to:
  • Stand for prolonged periods of time
  • Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • Lift patients and objects of 35 pounds or more
  • Push pieces of equipment from room to room
  • Maneuver in limited spaces

Communication Requirements

• Communicate effectively in verbal and written form by:
  • Speaking clearly and succinctly when:
    • Describing patient conditions
    • Implementing health techniques
  • Writing legibly and correctly in patients’ records for legal documentation
• Function safely under stressful conditions with the ability to:
  • Adapt to the ever-changing environment inherent in clinical situations involving patient care
• Computer skills to:
  • Use a variety of software programs and the internet for research and course projects, including PowerPoint for presentations

Contact

Updated January 29, 2024