Utah Valley State College - Department of Nursing
MISSION
Our mission is to promote quality nursing education through a dynamic curriculum and to cultivate requisite knowledge, sound reasoning ability and a foundation for lifelong learning in students as they progress toward becoming competent, compassionate nurses.
VISION
The Department of Nursing is committed to the educational preparation of nurses who are competent to meet the needs of the profession in a dynamic health care environment. The department anticipates the time when the baccalaureate degree is the basic entry into nursing, and when graduate level nursing courses, are offered.
PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of nursing faculty at Utah Valley State College is in accord with the general philosophy of Utah Valley State College. Program philosophy is based on the following beliefs held by nursing faculty:
Nursing is both an art and a science applied to assist individuals in meeting their health care needs. Knowledge from natural and behavioral sciences, in combination with an understanding of health and wellness, guides nurses as they assist health care recipients to identify and meet perceived needs. Nursing decisions are based on judgment derived from scientific knowledge and nursing process based clinical practice. Practitioners use the body of scientific knowledge to intervene in promoting health.
Nurses assume a variety of roles as avenues through which nursing care is delivered. These encompass multiple actions taken by nurses on behalf of and in conjunction with the multidisiplinary health care team. These roles include member of the discipline, provider of care and manager of care. Nurses function in these roles in an assortment of settings. Nursing actions are viewed as a systematic process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation within regulations for practice. Critical analysis and sound judgment are used to apply the nursing process in a caring and consistent manner. Nurses use critical thinking, ie. accurate, prudent and open-minded judgment, in conjunction with the nursing process.
Health Care Recipients are individuals, families, groups and communities in varying states of health and wellness who use the services of nurses in a variety of settings for the purpose of health promotion, health maintenance and /or health restoration. Health care recipients are integral parts of the multidisciplinary health care team. The faculty subscribe to the World Health Organization?s definition of Health as a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being not merely the absence of disease. Wellness is a dynamic state of physical, mental, spiritual, cultural and social well-being as perceived by the health care recipient.
Practitioners within the discipline are committed to enhancing quality of life by promoting optimal wellness and allowing for dignified death. Nurses value individuals as holistic beings who interact continuously with the environment. We respect the diversity of all individuals. Each individual has distinct and unique needs which, when met, will assist them to regain, attain or maintain a desirable level of health. Addressing these needs acknowledges the holistic nature of the individual. Individuals are a part of the global society.
The entry level of nursing education at Utah Valley State College leads to an Associate of Science in Nursing and prepares graduates to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Students at this level build from the broad foundational knowledge acquired in general education courses to develop the knowledge and skills required to function as registered nurses. The primary role of Associate Degree nurses is direct provision of care.
Students in the Associate Degree program are prepared to utilize the nursing process and critical thinking to provide safe effective holistic nursing care for small groups of health care recipients with complex alterations in health in structured and unstructured health care settings.
Functioning as members of the health care team, Associate Degree nurses work with other health care providers in many settings to meet health care needs of individuals and families. Graduates of the program are prepared to supervise other health care providers and to delegate and manage care given by others. Associate Degree nurses subscribe to legal and ethical tenets of nursing practice.
Completion of the first year of the Associate Degree program fulfills the requirements to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), through equivalency. The primary focus in the first year is to provide nursing care for individuals experiencing common, well-defined health problems in structured settings. Students who choose to conclude their nursing education at the end of this year can work under supervision of a registered nurse or other health care provider and contribute to components of the nursing process.
The second level of nursing education at Utah Valley State College leads to a Bachelors Degree and is another level for registered nursing. The baccalaureate prepared registered nurse bases nursing practice on sound scientific and humanistic knowledge gained from the study of diverse fields including, but not limited to, behavioral and social sciences, biological science, natural science, economics and management. Baccalaureate graduates form partnerships with health care recipients and multidisciplinary team members to promote health and wellness in diverse settings. The program prepares graduates to use holistic assessments in meeting present and emergent health concerns of health care recipients; to use information and health care technologies; and to apply decision-making, communication, teaching-learning, research, critical thinking, communication, negotiation, delegation, and evaluation concepts in the practice of nursing. Incorporation of professionalism is emphasized in all nursing components of the baccalaureate program. Baccalaureate degree nurses subscribe to the legal and ethical tenets of nursing. The Baccalaureate level will provide graduates with concepts and skills necessary to advance in their careers, to enter midlevel management positions, to practice in all settings, to develop leadership and management concepts and skills, and to pursue graduate education in nursing.
Education encompasses the scientific knowledge and caring attributes needed to achieve cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills necessary for competent nursing practice. It should be an opportunity available to all persons capable of meeting required competencies. Education should allow for upward and/or horizontal mobility according to individual needs, desires and abilities. Nursing education builds on a foundation of life experience as well as education acquired from prerequisite and support courses. Students from diverse backgrounds have opportunities to improve learning skills and cultivate meaningful careers. Nursing faculty endorse open access policy of the College but recognize specific admission criteria for the nursing department must be identified and maintained in order for students and graduates to succeed. Faculty support educational mobility within nursing and recognize common, foundational concepts for all levels of nursing education.
The educational process involves active participation of both learner and teacher. Principles of education and the teaching/learning process are used to enhance learning. Faculty use and teach about current technologies while adhering to basic principles of nursing practice.
Learning is a purposeful process resulting in a change in thinking, feeling and/or behavior. All learning is perceived as a hierarchical process, which progresses from simple to more complex concepts. Past experiences, knowledge and skills students bring to the learning environment provide a sound base for lifelong learning. Learning integrates theory and clinical experiences. Goal directed interactions between students and faculty provide a clear vision as to expected learning.
Faculty mentor, facilitate, motivate, guide and direct the learning experience. Synergistic exchange between student and mentor encourages learning at highest levels. Faculty encourage an open exchange of ideas. Principles of adult learning are of paramount importance. These principles are used to enhance the learning process along with a need for personalized learning events, which demonstrate respect, trust and concern for the individual. Ultimately, students are responsible for their own learning. Continued learning and participation in professional activities are encouraged throughout the curriculum. The goal is for students to recognize learning as a lifelong process.
Legal and ethical behavior, caring, integrity and accountability are essential to nursing practice. Nursing faculty have opportunity to reinforce the value of these qualities in students by acting as role models and mentors.
Students are the primary focus of the Department of Nursing. Individual student needs are addressed within the constraints of the nursing department. Students of nursing identify the need for self-understanding in order to allow for personal and professional growth necessary to achieve excellence as providers of care.
The Environment encompasses surroundings of both the student and the recipient of nursing care. This may include significant others, physical surroundings as well as various settings in which nursing/education occur. Examples include the classroom, Nursing Learning Center, individual homes and clinical agencies. We maintain active partnerships to meet developing needs for nursing education in our community.
School name: Utah Valley State College - Department of Nursing
Address: 800 West University Parkway
Zip & city: UT 84058 Orem
Phone: (801) 863-6714
Web: http://www.uvsc.edu/ssh/nurs/
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