South Orange (College of Nursing)

HISTORY

In 1937, the first nursing courses were offered establishing of the School of Nursing Education, within the Urban Division of Seton Hall College. Students were registered nurses preparing for careers in nursing education, nursing administration or public health nursing. In 1950, Seton Hall College became Seton Hall University, and the School of Nursing was established as one of four distinct schools within the University.

In September 1953, the four-year basic professional nursing program was initiated in Newark, New Jersey, where it remained until 1968 when the School moved to the South Orange campus. In 1971, the School was inaugurated as the College of Nursing. The Caroline DiDonato Schwartz Nursing Building was built in 1973. In 1977, the graduate program was established, followed in 1978 with the chartering of Gamma Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Nursing Honor Society.

The College has educated many individuals who are in positions of leadership, both locally and throughout the country. The College currently comprises three departments: the Department of Adult Health; the Department of Family and Community; and the Department of Supportive Sciences and Health Systems. The Undergraduate Division provides a traditional program (formerly called “generic” program), an accelerated program for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree in another discipline and a B.S.N. completion program for registered nurses. The graduate program offers a variety of practitioner and degree programs in nursing administration and nursing education. Certificate programs in case management and school nursing are also available.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the College of Nursing is to educate baccalaureate-prepared generalists and master’s-prepared advanced practitioners of nursing who aspire to be innovators and leaders in the nursing profession. Both undergraduate and graduate curricula exist within a University community that embraces a student body that is made rich through cultural, ethnic and racial diversity, where religious commitment and academic freedom are valued. The College of Nursing strives to cultivate values in its students that enable a commitment to lifelong service to the nursing profession and humanity. Graduates of the College uphold the American Nurses Association’s Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice as they contribute to the advancement of the profession while growing personally and professionally in lifelong learning.

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the faculty of the Undergraduate Division is predicated on the belief that body of nursing knowledge is formulated through scientific inquiry and that the professional practice of nursing rests upon the ability to synthesize knowledge from the sciences, humanities and the arts. The faculty believe that a strong liberal education prepares the graduate to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing multicultural society. Professional nurses exercise critical thinking and leadership skills, possess a commitment to continuous professional and personal growth, and support the continuous development of nursing knowledge. The philosophy incorporates the concepts of people, environment, health and professional nursing. The interaction of these concepts is the basis for baccalaureate nursing education and practice. The faculty of the Undergraduate Division of the College believe that people are integrated individuals with bio-physiological, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual dimensions. They are complex, unique, sentient beings who engage in activities that influence health, life and well being. People possess the ability to make choices while continuously interacting with the environment.

The environment is an aggregate of external surroundings, or the world in which people live. In this sense, family and community become the natural context within which people are viewed. Health is dynamic; perceived by the individual; and reflective of biophysical, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual dimensions. The environment affects the ability of the individual to attain, maintain and restore optimal health. Health is influenced in part by developmental state; life cycle events; lifestyle choices; and participation in health-promoting, maintaining and restoring activities.

Professional nursing is a humanistic and scientific discipline that promotes, maintains and restores health of the individual, family and community through the use of the nursing process and current research findings. The professional nurse is a leader in nursing care situations and functions in roles such as teacher, counselor and advocate. As members of a caring profession, nurses function both autonomously and collaboratively to meet the health needs of diverse populations in a variety of socioeconomic, cultural and environmental settings.

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College of Nursing Nursing School Location

College of Nursing Courses

PROFESSIONAL NURSING I
This course introduces the registered nurse student to the philosophy of nursing and the baccalaureate curriculum. The interrelationships between nursing theory, practice, education and research are discussed as foundations for understanding nursing theorists, the nursing process, and the impact of nursing research on practice. The major focus is on the use of the nursing process with individuals and families. Current and emerging roles and responsibilities of the professional nurse are compared and contrasted with other nursing roles as well as with other health professionals.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
Basic concepts of community health and public health are applied to identify actual and potential health problems of individuals, groups and communities. The focus will be on community-based health care, roles and functions of the community and public health nurse, developing partnerships with community organizations, healthcare delivery systems, levels of prevention and health promotion and risk models.

PROFESSIONAL NURSING II
This course focuses on knowledge and skills derived from leadership and management as they are translated and integrated into professional nursing practice within the contemporary healthcare delivery system. Specific issues and trends in healthcare delivery, in general, and nursing, in particular, are analyzed.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT
This course will introduce the student to the theoretical bases necessary in order to perform a comprehensive health assessment which involves obtaining and analyzing data describing a person’s state of wellness, strengths relative to health promotion, and responses to actual and/or potential health deviations or clinical problems. The relationship of health assessment to the role and responsibilities of the professional nurse in the application of the nursing process will be explored. This course will focus on the theory and practice of health assessment skills, identification of deviations from the norm, and accurate documentation of findings. Emphasis is placed on the integration and application of these skills through the use of critical thinking.

HEALTH PROMOTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
The focus of this course is health promotion and wellness for individuals across the life span. Students will implement strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent injury and disease in individuals in various community settings. Content focuses on health throughout the lifespan, risk assessment and screening, and health promotion resources. Clinical content includes performing risk assessments and applying nursing interventions to assist individuals to meet their health needs and optimize health.

ADULT NURSING I
This course will provide the student with the knowledge base to assess a client’s ability to function independently, intervene to maximize function, help the client to identify coping patterns and establish realistic outcomes. Clients with chronic disease states are examined. The nursing process is viewed as the framework to guide the students to think critically when interacting with clients in need of assistance to maintain or improve their level of health. The beginning student will be provided with a method for learning how to apply nursing theory. Clinical experiences will be provided in a variety of settings which provide opportunities for the beginning student to initiate specific nursing skills and interventions for health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention and illness and disease management.

DIMENSIONS OF NURSING: THE CHILDBEARING FAMILY
The Childbearing Family focuses on providing the student with the theoretical knowledge needed to provide care to the childbearing family. Concepts learned in previous courses will be built upon as the students design plans of care based upon theoretical and empirical knowledge of normal and selected abnormal patterns of biophysical and psychosocial growth and development of the pregnant woman, fetus, newborn and family. Clinical experiences include mother/baby units, labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, preparation for childbirth classes, breast feeding classes and counseling, experiences at birth centers and ante-partum clinics.

DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL NURSING
The major focus of this course is the development of an effective theoretical basis for nursing practice with clients with psychosocial alterations in the clinical setting. The major concepts of person, society, culture, nursing and health are amplified by way of specific emphasis upon psychosocial considerations.

DIMENSIONS OF NURSING: THE CHILDREARING FAMILY
This course focuses on giving the student a framework for evaluating developmental health care needs unique to children from birth through young adulthood with emphasis on the family context. Concepts learned in previous nursing courses will be built upon as the students design plan of care that assist families to maximize their strengths in achieving optimum health.

ACUTE ADULT NURSING
This course will provide the student with the knowledge base to assess the client’s ability to function independently, intervene to maximize function, to help the client identify realistic outcomes and coping with altered function with acute disease states. The nursing process is viewed as the framework to guide the students to think critically when interacting with acute care clients. Clinical experiences will be provided in a variety of settings which will enhance opportunities for the student to initiate acute nursing skills and interventions for health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention and illness and disease management.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
Basic concepts of community health and public health are applied to identify actual and potential health problems of individuals, groups and communities. The focus will be on community-based health care, roles and functions of the community and public health nurse, developing partnerships with community organizations, healthcare delivery systems, levels of prevention and health promotion and risk models.

SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM
This is a capstone clinical course for students in the traditional, accelerated, and second degree programs and serves as a transition between the role of nursing student and the role of the professional nurse. The major purpose is to increase independence in providing nursing care to groups of individuals in an acute care setting under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Students continue to implement the nursing process while caring for groups of individuals; however, the focus in this course is on the organization, delegation and supervision of care given as well as evaluation of the outcomes of care.

GROUP DYNAMICS
This course is designed to assist students to apply psychological, cultural and behavioral concepts to the study of group interaction. Principles of dealing with small groups in a variety of sociocultural settings are examined in order to maximize students’ ability to comprehend the interactive factors that influence group behaviors and to become effective group participants.

INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
This course focuses on the theoretical perspectives of growth and development, family theories and family adaptation at different stages, as well as usual patterns of aging. Students will make assessments of individuals in various stages of life to identify developmental issues and their impact on health phenomena of interest to nursing.

CULTURE AND HEALTH
This course will focus on some of the major cultures of the world that are represented within our regional healthcare systems. Discussions and readings will include patterns of beliefs, values, behaviors and religious practices across cultures as well as examining health practices and healing behaviors of specific cultures. Culture specific strategies will be reviewed for teachings and interventions for health promotion and disease management and healthcare systems will be examined in light of meeting culture-specific needs. This course aims to increase cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity and cultural competency among healthcare students.

DYING WITH DIGNITY
Nurses spend more time with patients and families facing the end of life than any other health professional. Nurses are intimately involved in all aspects of end of life care and they address the myriad of needs facing individuals at this time of life. Expert nursing care has the potential to greatly reduce the burden and distress of those facing life’s end and the ability to offer support for the many physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families. End of life care is not confined only to specific illnesses (i.e., cancer or AIDS), but rather it is essential across all life-threatening illnesses and in cases of sudden death.

SPIRITUALITY: LIVING OUR CONNECTEDNESS
This course is designed to present spirituality as a concept that lies beyond religious boundaries. As caregivers, nurses share both the privilege, and responsibility of awakening within themselves, the ability to be compassionate and competent caregivers. As the learning journey progresses, students will have the opportunity to explore cultural sensitivity, and the ways our differing belief systems, both religious, and otherwise, impact patient care. The importance of not only faith, but of forgiveness and hope, will be incorporated.

INDEPENDENT STUDY IN NURSING
Opportunity to study an area or problem in nursing in greater depth and to develop the ability for self-directed learning.

INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL NURSING
This course is designed to introduce the student to the art and science of nursing, as well as, the philosophy of the College of Nursing. The historical development of nursing and nursing education is discussed. Person, environment and health are examined as central concepts in nursing theories as well as the interrelationships between nursing theory, practice, research and education. Students are introduced to the nursing process as a means for designing and delivering nursing care. Selected ethical issues and trends will be discussed as they relate to current nursing practice.

LEGAL ASPECTS OF NURSING
This course reviews the rights, privileges and obligations of nurses in their relationship to each other, their employers, their patients, and all providers of health care. Emphasis is placed on developing the ability of the nurse to recognize and apply relevant legal concepts to insure his/her legal safety while providing optimal patient care.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
This course focuses on human response patterns, common to all ages, to internal and external stresses that result in physiological alterations. Subsequent nursing courses will focus upon nursing care component, integrating the student’s knowledge of these physiological alterations. This theory course is based upon physiological alterations and thus permits intensive study of concepts that will act as advanced organizers to change generalizations into usable scientific knowledge applicable to nursing.

FOUNDATIONS OF PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY
Focus on pharmacological therapy and the role of the nurse in drug management with consideration to social, economic and the technological changes in administering medications safely. Categories of drugs, including prototypes, related to each body system/drug function are studied. Emphasis is on developing the knowledge base and critical thinking abilities necessary to care for clients receiving medication therapy.

GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING
This course will focus on the aging process from both biological and social perspectives. Discussions will include patterns of normal aging as well as common pathological conditions and health problems faced by the elderly. Health promotion, health maintenance, and restorative nursing are emphasized as well as adaptations in self-care required as a result of age-related changes and chronic illness.

RESEARCH IN NURSING
This course introduces the undergraduate nursing student to the research process and ethical issues related to nursing research. The student will acquire skills necessary to read, interpret, evaluate and critically analyze nursing research studies in view of their use in nursing practice.

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL NURSE
This course will focus on the structural, financial and managerial foundations of integrated healthcare delivery systems. Students will identify major revenue streams, payer sources, and regulatory topics such as entitlement programs, DRGs, and prospective payment systems. The basic concepts of insurance, utilization and case management, and contractual commitments will be covered. Content focuses on developing broad knowledge of the emerging issues facing nurses in management and operations positions. Students will analyze the interactions of integrated delivery systems with the financing of healthcare, regulation, competition and organizational innovation.

LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND TRENDS IN NURSING
This course focuses on knowledge and skills derived from leadership and management as they are translated and integrated into professional nursing practice and in nursing are analyzed within the contemporary healthcare delivery system. Specific issues and trends in healthcare delivery, in general.

ADVANCED CONCEPTS IN ADULT NURSING
Focuses on advanced concepts related to adult nursing. The case study method is utilized as a framework for promoting critical thinking as it relates to the care of clients and families with multiple, complex needs. Students analyze selected case studies and develop nursing systems for clients and families. High risk populations, such as the aged, chronically ill, and those with multiple illnesses (T.B., HIV, cancer) will be examined.

Other nursing schools in South Orange

Seton Hall University (College of Nursing) The College of Nursing offers programs of study leading to the BSN, MSN, and MA degrees. Also, in collaboration with the Stillman School of Business, ... Address: 400 South Orange Avenue

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