Pennsylvania College of Technology - School of Health Sciences

Nurses are men and women who are responsible (along with other health care professionals) for patient health maintenance; treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill or injured people; and treatment of life-threatening emergencies. Nurses also may be involved in medical and nursing research and perform a wide range of nonclinical functions necessary to the delivery of health care. Pennsylvania College of Technology's nursing majors prepare graduates for licensure examinations, immediate employment, and advanced education. Graduates of nursing majors are employed by: * Office practices * Hospitals * Public health organizations * Community health agencies * Long-term care facilities * Intermediate and extended care facilities For those who desire to continue their education past the associate-degree level, a bachelor of science degree in nursing can lead to advanced clinical and administrative positions in the traditional field of nursing, as well as opportunities in nontraditional settings, such as: * Home health nursing * Public health nursing * Nursing education * Health care case management MISSION The mission of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Nursing Program is to provide nursing education to students who will demonstrate clinical and professional excellence in response to a changing health care climate. The program cultivates accountability, community responsibility, personal enlightenment, social and cultural awareness, critical thinking, enthusiasm for scholarly investigation, and a respect for the dignity and worth of human life. The nursing program encompasses three levels of nursing education, supporting educational and career mobility. Concordant with the mission of Penn College, the nursing program strives to provide accessible full- and part-time educational opportunities that meet the needs of today’s students. The academic courses of the nursing program combine the unique resources of Penn College with those of the community. These collaborative relationships enable faculty to maintain awareness of the dynamics of the surrounding community, scientific and technological advancements, and the interrelationships between the concepts of health/illness and nursing. Specifically, the nursing program is committed to: * recognizing the infinite worth of each person regardless of ethnic and religious background. * serving all Nursing students and accepting the responsibility for their enhanced professional development within the discipline. * providing a career-oriented program that serves nursing needs locally, regionally, and nationally. * encouraging growth in the health care community in the central Pennsylvania region. PHILOSOPHY The nursing curriculum at Penn College is based on the following faculty beliefs: A person is a holistic being possessing basic biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural needs. As open systems, individuals are continually interacting with their internal and external environments, thereby experiencing change and adaptation. Individuals are also recognized as members of a more comprehensive social network of family and community within society. Therefore, the clients of nursing are defined as individuals as well as family, community, and societal groups. The environment provides the social context in which people live and create meaning in their lives. The environment comprises comprehensive systems (i.e., families, communities, and cultural groups) that influence the structure, values, beliefs, and expectations of individuals. Through the dynamic interaction with their environments, people change, grow, and develop throughout the life cycle. Health is viewed as a dynamic process involving the interaction of people and their environment. Health is viewed as the ability of individuals or groups to positively respond and adapt to changes and to function at their maximum levels of potential. The individual’s or group’s adaptability influences placement and movement along the health-illness continuum. Differentiation in the ability to respond positively to environmental changes characterizes the level of wellness of the individual or group. Nursing, as a discipline, is viewed as both a caring art and science. The social goal of the nursing profession is to provide care to all those who seek or are in need of nursing services. Nurses design and manage care based upon theory, research, and experience. Theoretical sources of knowledge that include the liberal arts and sciences as well as nursing provide the basis for the practice of professional nursing. Based on a nursing assessment, an individual’s or group’s state of health can be placed on a continuum ranging from peak wellness to death as they move through the life cycle. The practice of nursing is enacted through the nurse-client relationship with the goal of promoting the optimal state of being. Using the nursing process, deliberate and caring interventions are designed to enhance the individual’s, family’s, group’s, or community’s ability to positively respond and adapt to change and to function at maximum levels. Higher education provides people with the opportunity to develop their potential and to become contributing members of an increasingly complex and global society. It provides the context to understand the human experience as well as the theoretical underpinnings for professional nursing practice. Nursing education focuses on the development of professional values that provide the framework for commitment to client welfare. It is recognized that there is a common core of knowledge applicable to all spheres of nursing. As such, learners can move from one sphere of nursing to another using the career mobility concept. Practical nursing education incorporates scientific knowledge and technical skills necessary to provide basic nursing care to clients of all ages under the direction of a registered professional nurse, licensed physician, or dentist. Associate-degree nursing education prepares nurses to care for clients with common health needs, utilizing the nursing process in a variety of settings. Associate-degree nurses function collaboratively with individuals, significant support persons, and members of the interdisciplinary team. Baccalaureate nursing education synthesizes knowledge from the liberal arts and sciences with the discipline’s body of knowledge. At the baccalaureate level, nursing education prepares generalists for expanded professional nursing practice in diverse settings through the integration of five interrelated roles: clinician, educator, advocate, research consumer, and leader. The teaching-learning process involves a dynamic and interactive process between students and faculty. Faculty acknowledge that students may bring previous educational, nursing, and life experiences to the learning environment. Faculty members guide and collaborate with learners through organized programs of study to attain educational goals. The teaching-learning process is enhanced by the creation of a milieu that encourages critical thinking and an appreciation of diverse points of view while increasing historical, cultural, and ethical awareness. Faculty seek to foster and expand the students’ commitment to continued learning and contribution to professional nursing practice.

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School name: Pennsylvania College of Technology - School of Health Sciences
Address: One College Avenue
Zip & city: PA 17701 Williamsport
Phone: (570) 326-3761, ext. 4525
Web: http://www.pct.edu/schools/hs/nursing/

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