Philosophy
The faculty believe that five core values influence and are basic to the practice of nursing. These values are caring, communication/collaboration, professionalism, competence/safety and evidenced based practice. These values, included in the National League of Nurses (NLN) Education Competencies Model and Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies for all health care professionals, provide the base for a curriculum designed to prepare LPN, ASN and RN-BSN graduates to practice successfully in a dynamic, constantly changing health care system (IOM, 2012; NLN, 2013).
The faculty believe that registered nurses use skills, knowledge and attitudes to provide high quality, safe nursing care which enhances human flourishing, is patient/client centered and incorporates theory, research, informatics, and evidence based practice. Working in interdisciplinary teams, registered nurses provide competent, compassionate care reflecting critical thinking and sound nursing judgment. Further, the practice of nursing incorporates a value system that is ethical, civil, and respectful of individual integrity and differences.
The faculty also believe that nursing education is a continuous process that provides opportunities for educational advancement as well as clinical expertise. Thus, the Nursing Department offers an entry from the LPN program into the ASN program and the ASN program offers a seamless continuation into the RN-BSN degree program for registered nurses.
References
Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2012). The future of nursing leading change, advancing health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National League for Nursing (NLN) (2013). Outcomes and competencies for graduates of practical/vocational, diploma, associate degree, baccalaureate, masters, Practice Doctorate, and Research Doctorate Programs in Nursing. New York: National League for Nursing.