Here on the associate degree in nursing program (ADN) our mission is to provide a positive teaching and learning environment that promotes self-directed learning, helps assist in developing critical thinking skills and fosters a deep and longstanding passion for nursing. As well as this we are committed to provide a quality nursing education for students from diverse and multicultural backgrounds. This is accomplished by providing compassionate quality care that focuses on the distinctive needs of patients and their families using a holistic philosophy which incorporates the interrelationship of the body, mind, and spirit. Furthermore, as the future and overall landscape of nursing continually changes with the advent of new technologies and an ever changing diverse healthcare environment; we believe the ADN needs to reflect and tackle these changes in order to create a capable and competent next generation of nursing leaders.
The nursing program is consistent with the beliefs and mission of the Community College. It offers a flexible Associates degree in nursing education for students who are focusing on the development of a professional career, with the aim that students will be ready to assume their roles as nurses in any working environment.
Philosophy Statement
Our focus in the ADN program is to provide care that is patient-centered, respectful, reflective, and based on nursing knowledge. We educate nurses that are competent, caring and recognize the importance for nurses to practice holistic care to their patients (Sheehe, 1994, 55). This enables nurses to provide safe direct patient care as beginning practitioners of nursing in a diverse variety of healthcare settings. (Billings, 2012)
Part of this underlying philosophy is based on our belief that human beings are all unique and that healing should be holistic in nature. Out of the various philosophies that underpin nursing, the ADN believe holistic nursing is the best approach to healing and maintaining both a patient’s physical and mental health. (Frisch 2001) A holistic approach to nursing ensures that patents from diverse background receive the same standard of care while also taking into account the personal beliefs of individuals. This is particularly important when considering the expediential increase in patents from differing religious, race and socio-economic backgrounds.
As well as this, the Faculty understands the continuous influx of new technology that is being developed and assimilated in the field of medicine requires nurses not only to learn the technical aspects of new technology in terms of its application and use. Instead, one of the primary goals here is to constantly evaluate new technology and procedures in regards to healthcare while at the same time respecting the underlying philosophical issues that come with technology advances. Indeed, it has been recognized that the ever growing level of technology in nursing should be accompanied by nurses being taught to question the ramifications of new technologies from an ethical (epistemological, ontological arguments) and philosophical perspective (Barnard, 2002, p. 21).
As a final point on our mission statement and its underlying philosophy, we believe education does not end when the student graduates, but is a lifelong endeavor that continuously must be sought after daily. Lifelong learning is essential for students to continue to remain up to date on current trends, practices and the latest treatments in the field of nursing; thus it remains important for us to foster a passion and interest in students in seeing nursing as a lifelong vocation with a great onus on continued education well beyond the initial degree.
- Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders.
- Frisch, N. (May 31, 2001). “Standards for Holistic Nursing Practice: A Way to Think About Our Care That Includes Complementary and Alternative Modalities”. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 6 No. 2, Manuscript 4
- Sheehe, J. B., & Schoener, L. (1994). Risk and reality for nurse educators. Holistic Nursing Practices, 8(2), pp. 53-58
- Barnard, A., (2002) Philosophy of Technology and Nursing. Nursing Philosophy, vol. 3, Issue 1, pp. 15-26
