PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the Department of Associate Degree Nursing guides the program of study. The philosophy articulates the faculty’s beliefs about the concepts of client, health, nursing, environment, and nursing education.

Clients are individuals, families, groups of people, and/or communities representative of different cultures. Clients interact with nurses and the health care delivery system in an effort to meet the essential needs for oxygenation, safety, nutrition, elimination, comfort, sleep, activity, and psychosocial well-being. Efforts to meet these needs in order to attain the goal of optimal health continue throughout the life span.

Health is a dynamic process, which occurs on a continuum from optimal wellness to death. Health encompasses an individual’s physical, psychosocial and spiritual well-being. Clients interact with nurses and the health care delivery system when necessary to meet their goals for health promotion, prevention of illness, restoration of health, and coping with challenges throughout the life span. High quality health care is best achieved through a client-centered, comprehensive, and accessible health care delivery system.

Nursing is a therapeutic and caring discipline whose practice is based on nursing knowledge, the sciences, and the humanities, and is guided by the ANA Code of Ethics. Nursing practice is guided by mandates and standards from prominent nursing education and health organizations such as the American Nurses’ Association and the National League for Nursing. Within a variety of roles and in multiple settings, nurses collaborate with clients and members of the interdisciplinary health care team to provide high quality client care and to facilitate improvement in health care delivery systems. Nursing is a vital force in society whose roles affect and are affected by current and emerging issues in health care. Knowledge derived from research, other scholarly activities, and societal trends provide direction for the evolving practice of nursing.

Environment is the sum total of the elements and conditions which impact the client. The environment is integral to the client’s experience of health and influences the development and behaviors of a client. Nurses interact with clients to maintain and/ or modify the environment to support optimal wellness. Environment also encompasses the context in which nurses learn and practice.

Nursing education provides an environment for the student to grow intellectually, develop psychomotor skills, and utilize effective communication skills. The curriculum fosters clinical decision-making through the use of the nursing process. Student success is enhanced by supplemental instruction services within the College of Health Sciences and the University. In support of life-long learning experiences, the Department of Associate Degree Nursing and the College of Health Sciences provide opportunities for educational advancement in nursing.

The organizing framework of the nursing curriculum represents the faculty’s plan for learning activities designed to assist student development in the roles of the nurse, and achievement of educational outcomes. This framework is based on the core components and Educational Competencies for Graduates of Associate Degree Nursing Programs developed by the National League for Nursing (2000). The core components are those elements, which are essential to the practice of the entry-level registered nurse. They include professional behaviors, communication, assessment, clinical decision-making, caring interventions, teaching and learning, collaboration, and management of care. The three roles of the nurse, defined by the National League for Nursing as provider of care, manager of care, and member within the profession of nursing, are inherent within the core components. These core components reflect the educational outcomes for students, and are actualized through competencies identified for each of the core components. The organizing framework, educational outcomes and course objectives flow from the Department of Associate Degree Nursing mission and philosophy. Courses in the sciences and humanities provide the foundation for the nursing curriculum.