PHILOSOPHY
(Revised and Approved by faculty, February 23, 2007)
The faculty of the Del Mar College Department of Nurse Education (DMC NE) believes nursing is both an art and an applied science that:
1. emphasizes the importance of caring, communication, competence, and clinical decision-making.
2. respects the uniqueness of all members of the global community.
3. collaborates with the client to promote, attain, and/or maintain an optimal level of health or to die with dignity.
The purpose of the DMC NE, Multiple Entry/Exit Program (MEEP) is to provide an accredited curriculum that facilitates students’ educational and career choices and encourages life-long learning (DMC Catalog). Upon completion of the program, students will meet educational requirements to sit for the specified National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN)
The faculty believes the practice of nursing is based on a synthesis of scientific and liberal arts concepts. Nurses collaborate as members of the healthcare team in meeting client needs. Nurses are responsible for understanding the roles of the profession and maintaining the standards that regulate nursing practice.
The primary role of the entry level graduate of an associate degree program is to provide direct nursing care to or coordinate care for a limited number of clients in various health care settings. (Differentiated Entry Level Competencies (DELC), 2002).
The Practice of the Vocational Nurse
The primary role of the entry level graduate of a vocational nursing program is to provide nursing care in structured health care settings for individual clients who are experiencing common, well-defined health problems with predictable outcomes (Differentiated Entry Level Competencies (DELC), 2002).
Nursing education incorporates the synthesis of scientific and liberal arts concepts. Through the educational process, students acquire the knowledge, behaviors and skills expected of the licensed vocational nurse and the registered nurse. Nursing education is a dynamic process that incorporates and enhances varied student learning experiences. Faculty facilitates the learning process by recognizing and integrating the student’s individual and cultural diversity, and potential for growth. Faculty documents learning activities and evaluates program effectiveness. The student is expected to demonstrate accountability and responsibility in the learning process.
The Del Mar Department of Nurse Education has multiple entries and exits to accommodate both the Certificate in Vocational Nursing and Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing.
Caring behaviors encompass showing concern, patience, compassion, and being a client advocate. According to Goetz (1999), she defines compassion as an emotion we feel when we perceive others in need and want to alleviate that need or suffering. Caring is having the ability to make authentic connections, and form cooperative and trusting interpersonal relationships. Demonstrating patience is an essential quality, and showing attentiveness in a timely manner. Authentic connection is taking the time to be genuine and being sensitive to patient’s verbal and non verbal cues, and providing a systematic approach using caring behaviors. The nurse will provide an atmosphere that promotes hope.
Communication is a dynamic, interactive process involving information, attitudes and skills between two or more human beings. There are multiple forms of communication including verbal, nonverbal, written and electronic. Characteristics of communication include caring, empathy, sympathy, acceptance, encouraging expression of feelings, and self-understanding. (Duldt, B., 1996, Ustun, B. 2006, Lenburg, C., 1999.) The nurse interacts with clients, families, and health care team members by adapting communication techniques based on the client’s communication pattern, cultural background, and developmental level. (Oermann, M, & Gaberson, K. (2006). Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education. Springer Publishing Company: New York.)
Competence is demonstration of the knowledge, judgment, skills, and professional behaviors derived from nursing and general education. Professional behaviors include accepting responsibility, demonstrating safe, outcome-driven professional nursing care within the legal and ethical guidelines of the Nursing Practice Act and ANA standards of care, valuing the need for lifelong learning and demonstrating self-assessment skills.
Clinical decision making uses the tools of critical thinking and the nursing process. Critical thinking skills include interpretation, analysis, explanation, inference, evaluation, and self regulation (reflection) (Facione and Facione, 1994). These critical thinking skills are required in the steps of the nursing process which include assessment, analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Factors that influence clinical decision making: include experience and knowledge, creative thinking ability, education, self concept, and environmental stressors. The framework utilized for clinical decision making is the clinical judgment model by Tanner (2006) the model includes five components that direct the clinical decision making process 1) noticing, 2) gathering data/assessment, 3)interpreting data, 4) responding, 5)reflecting/evaluating. The model is cyclical in nature to achieve optimal client outcomes.
The Associate Degree Graduate
The new graduate is prepared as a safe, beginning nurse generalist. Therefore the ADN graduate will:
1. Provide safe, competent, evidence-based care within the scope of registered nursing practice.
2. Collaborate with members of the interdisciplinary team, client, and families to manage care.
3. Demonstrate clinical decision making by integrating critical thinking and the nursing process.
4. Establish and maintain trusting, interpersonal relationships with clients families, significant others across the life span, and interdisciplinary team members, incorporating caring behaviors.
The Vocational Nurse Graduate
The new graduate is prepared as a safe, beginning nurse generalist. Therefore the VN graduate will:
1. Provide safe, competent, evidence-based care within the scope of vocational nursing practice.
2. Coordinate care with members of the interdisciplinary team, client, and families.
3. Participate in clinical decision making by integrating critical thinking and the nursing process.
4. Develop and maintain trusting, interpersonal relationships with the interdisciplinary team, client, and families while incorporating caring behaviors.
1. Annual NCLEX pass rate will be no more than 5% below the state average.
2. Employer surveys result in a cumulative score of >3 on 5.0 likert scale.
3. At least 70% of new graduates and alumni will rate program satisfaction overall and by item as good to excellent.
4. At least 40% of graduates will have firm job offers by graduation and 95% of graduates will be successfully employed in nursing within 1 year of graduation.
References
Alfaro-LeFevre, R. (2004). Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment Practical Approach (3rd ed.).Philadelphia: Saunders
Alfaro-LeFevre, R. (2006). Critical Thinking Indicators (CTI’s) retrieved 2/16/07 from www.AlfaroTeachSmart.com
Chinn, P., & Watson, J. (Eds.). (1994). Art and aesthetics of nursing. NY: NLN Differentiated Entry Level Competencies (DELC), 2002
Facione, P. & Facione, N. (1994). California critical thinking disposition inventory. Millbrae, CA: California Academic Press
Goetz, J. (1999). Compassion + Empathy. Retrieved 2/16/07 from http://peacecenter.berkeley.edu/research_compassion_goetz1.html
Lenberg, C. B. (1999). The framework, concepts and methods of the competency outcomes and assessment (COPA) model. Journal of Issues in Nursing, September 30, 1999. (on-line, free journal at www.nursingworld.org/join).
Oerman, M. & Gaberson, K. 2006. Evaluation and testing in nursing education. Springer Publishing Company: New York.
Tanner, C. (2006).
Thinking like a nurse: A research-based model of clinical judgment in nursing.
Journal of Nursing Education, 45(6), 204-211.
Texas Board of Nurse Examiners; Nursing Practice Act, retrieved 2/16/07 from http://www.bne.state.tx.us/nursinglaw/npa1.html#353-hb
Ustin, B. (2006) Communication skills training as part of a problem-based learning Curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education 421-424.
Watson, J. (Ed.) (1994). Applying the art and science of human caring. NY: NLN