Goals & Objectives

COLLEGE PROGRAM GOALS

Upon graduation, all graduates of the College will:

1. Communicate clearly, precisely and accurately, using written and verbal means;
2. Demonstrate critical thinking by clarifying, integrating and evaluating knowledge based on theories, values, and standards of professional care;
3. Engage in collaborative practices with other health-care providers, the communities to be served, patients and families, and local and national governmental bodies;
4. Use research from within the profession and other disciplines to guide practice and professional activities;
5. Demonstrate professional behaviors within practice settings and to the public at large that reflect the standards of the profession and its regulatory bodies;
6. Assume leadership roles within the profession and the community;
7. Participate in professional organizations and in political processes that promote health, well-being and quality of life for society;
8. Engage in lifelong learning.

BACCALAUREATE NURSING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this program of study, graduates will:

1. Use effective modes of communication with clients, community partners and health-care providers in order to provide quality health care;
2. Integrate critical-thinking processes in professional nursing practice in an effort to make logical decisions;
3. Model professional behaviors that adhere to standards, practice, and ethical codes;
4. Plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions for clients from diverse cultures and in a variety of settings.

GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this program of study, graduates will:

1. Apply effective modes of communication in the provision of care to clients and aggregates.
2. Synthesize critical thinking processes used to make logical decisions in advanced nursing practice.
3. Apply theoretical and research-based nursing interventions directed at clients and aggregates.
4. Demonstrate professional behavior and assume leadership roles consistent with standards, regulatory and ethical codes in the profession and community

BACCALAUREATE NURSING PROGRAM
ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK

The concepts that provide direction for the baccalaureate nursing curriculum at West Suburban College of Nursing are derived from professional nursing education and changes in the health-care delivery system. Professional nurses must have the ability to define and conceptualize population parameters and the health-care needs of clients. To develop effective nursing interventions, nurses must be able to recognize and predict shifts in health care.

The Healthy People 2010 initiative, a set of national health objectives, provides direction for the college’s curriculum content. Systems theory serves as a basic framework for the curriculum. Systems theory is the study of systems (defined as sets of dynamic elements ranging from simple to complex) and their organization. Systems are arranged in a hierarchy; the components of any system are also part of a larger system. The elements of a system are open to and interact with all that surrounds them. These interactions trigger change and development.

The human ecological model—which describes human development throughout the life span—is the basis for community-based nursing. The elements of this model consist of ecological units (social systems) identified as the individual, the family, the community and the global society. This model emphasizes interactions between social systems and is based on the assumption that events in one system affect and are affected by events in other systems.

Through partnerships, community-based nursing provides a framework for the delivery of care to individuals, families, and groups.

Metaparadigm

The nursing metaparadigm is composed of the four concepts discussed in the program’s philosophy: client, environment, health and nursing. These four major concepts provide the cornerstone for the nursing curriculum and are supported by the framework, which includes systems theory, levels of prevention, nursing process, research, and teaching (see Figure 1).

Curricular Strand Outcomes

The curriculum is geared toward four outcomes: communication, critical thinking, professionalism, and therapeutic interventions (see Figure 1).

Communication, as defined by the faculty, is the effective, accurate, and congruent transmission and reception of information, thoughts, and feelings through multiple modes (West Suburban College of Nursing faculty, 1997). Communications skills are integral to all aspects of nursing practice.

Critical thinking is “the intellectually disciplined process of actively conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication as a guide to belief or action” (Paul, 1993). There are five components of critical thinking that lead the nurse to make safe and effective clinical judgments: knowledge, competency, attitude, experience, and standards (Potter & Perry, 2001).

Therapeutic interventions are evidence-based actions guided by the nursing process that aim to promote, maintain, and restore health for individuals, families, or communities (Martin, Kinnick, Hummel, Clukey, & Baird, 1997).

Professionalism requires specialized knowledge and preparation. Professionalism within baccalaureate nursing includes an understanding of the history and philosophy of nursing, incorporation of standards of care, and professional performance.

Curriculum Strand Processes

The nine processes outlined in Figure 1 identify the concepts that are woven through all courses in the curriculum.

Collaboration in the context of nursing is the process of working toward mutually agreed-upon goals with clients and other members of the health- care team. Effective collaboration includes open communication in addition to a mutual trust and respect for all members’ abilities and contributions.

Culture refers to learned, shared, and transmitted values and beliefs, norms, and life practices that develop for a group. Consideration of these factors helps nurses provide care to clients.

Health economics is the study of finances and their influence on health care. Health care is dependent on supply, demand, availability, accessibility, and financial resources.

Health promotion is the proactive process of involving clients in activities that maintain or enhance health. These activities can be utilized within all levels of health care.

Levels of prevention define what kind of action is needed for a client. Primary prevention aims to prevent problems from happening. Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and intervention. Tertiary prevention focuses on reducing the extent and severity of problems in order to minimize disability and restore function.

Nursing process is a decision-making process involving assessment, analysis, planning, implementation of interventions, and evaluation of care. The process is applied to all levels of prevention.

Research is a systematic inquiry into problems. Nursing research is important because it validates nursing as a profession, documents the effectiveness of nursing interventions, provides a scientific knowledge base for practice, and demonstrates accountability of the profession (Polit, Tatano Beck, & Hungler, 1999).

Teaching is a collaborative process that promotes learning.

Learning is the purposeful acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and skills (Potter & Perry, 2001). These skills can be utilized across all levels of nursing care.

MASTER OF NURSING PROGRAM ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK

The purpose of the MSN program is to prepare nurses in advanced nursing roles to function within the health care system for the purpose of delivering cost-effective quality outcomes.

West Suburban College of Nursing offers the following four graduate nursing majors:

• Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) functions as an advanced generalist to provide competent nursing care at the point of care and through out the health care delivery system.
• Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) provides clinical nursing expertise with the adult patient with a variety of medical and/or surgical health problems.
• Nurse Administrator (NA) acquires a depth of knowledge and skill to transform the delivery of nursing and health care in leadership, management and systems administration positions.
• Nurse Educator (NE) prepares nurses in an advanced practice role with competency to be an academic educator.

Graduates will be prepared to sit for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL), Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Nursing Administration, or Nursing Administration Advanced (depending on the level of leadership with the organization) certification examinations provided by or to be developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Nurse Educator will be prepared to sit for the National League of Nursing Certified Nurse Educator (CNE).