Purpose / Goals / Mission

Mission/Purpose

The purpose of the Walters State Community College Nursing Program is to provide a quality nursing education to the geographically large and rural service area of East Tennessee. The program will:

• prepare individuals to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) given by the State Board of Nursing

• meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever changing health care environment

• contribute to the improvement in quality of life for the student and residents of East Tennessee

• encourage participation in lifelong learning

• provide opportunities for articulation with colleges and universities

The Practice of Associate Degree Nursing

Upon graduation from the Walters State Community College Associate of Applied Science Degree program in nursing, the graduate is prepared as an adaptable generalist for entry level practice as a registered nurse in diverse healthcare settings.

The Associate Degree Nurse is prepared to demonstrate the three roles of nursing practice: provider of care, manager of care, and member of the discipline of nursing. Inherit in these roles is a demonstration of the core components and competencies as identified by the National League for Nursing:

• professional behaviors

• communication

• assessment

• clinical decision making

• caring interactions

• teaching/learning

• collaboration

• managing care

Education

The Walters State Community College nursing program promotes excellence in teaching and preparation of students for life-long learning. Each student is valued as a unique person and is guided toward development of individual potential as a contributing member of the nursing profession and as a citizen in a democratic society.

The faculty believes that learning takes place within the learner; therefore, self awareness and self evaluation are emphasized. Faculty acknowledge that learners bring a variety of life experiences, learning styles, and personal goals to the education setting. Further, faculty believe learning is:

1. meaningful, when there are goals and objectives

2. enhanced, when the climate is non-judgmental

3. meaningful and lasting, when there is opportunity for application

4. enhanced, when the learner is motivated by an awareness of his or her own needs

5. progressive from the familiar to the new and from the simple to the complex

6. enhanced, when the learner is involved in the learning process

To prepare as an adaptable generalist, nursing education is best accomplished in an institution of higher learning through a curriculum which incorporates knowledge from a variety of disciplines. These disciplines include the natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, humanities and mathematics as well a incorporation of oral, written, and technological communication.

The combination of general and nursing education courses provides learning experiences that prepare the student to function with intellectual and technical competence, utilizing critical think skills in the application of the nursing process.

The nursing faculty endeavors to provide the guidance which will enable each individual to apply his or her potential in the field of nursing. The nursing faculty facilitates learning for the students while functioning as nursing experts, teachers, mentors, and nurturers

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Nursing Program is a belief system held by the faculty regarding person, environment, health, and nursing. These defining concepts are interrelated and exist in a dynamic relationship.

PERSON is defined as a unique bio-psycho-social-spiritual being worthy of respect and dignity. Accepting Maslow's theory, each individual has a hierarchy of needs from physiologic to self-actualization. Each person makes decisions and choices based on knowledge, cultural background, experience, perceptions, values, and goals. Changes in the person occur throughout the lifespan. Each person interacts with and responds to changes in the internal and external environment. The concept of person may include individuals, families, communities, and groups.

ENVIRONMENT refers to the total of all factors and processes, internal and external, continuously impacting on the person.

HEALTH is a dynamic state of being resulting from the adaptation to the interaction of person and environment. Health is a subjective and individual perception existing on a continuum from optimal wellness through end of life.

NURSING is an applied discipline of knowledge and skills based on research. Nursing functions are dependent, independent, and collaborative. The nurse interacts with the person in the environment to promote health. As a stake holder in the community, nursing has a responsibility to provide fiscally sound, quality care that promotes health, prevents illness, restores health, and facilitates coping across the lifespan. Nursing occurs in a variety of settings.

Nursing process is a systematic method that uses critical thinking to provide structure to nursing practice toward the achievement of positive outcomes. Through the use of nursing process, nurses diagnose and treat the person's response to actual and potential health problems. The practice of nursing includes provision for a safe effective care environment, measures to achieve physiological and psychosocial integrity, and promotion and maintenance of health.

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