University of St. Francis (College of Nursing and Allied Health)

Saint Joseph School of Nursing was founded in 1920 by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Joliet, Illinois. In 1987, a decision was made to discontinue the diploma program and begin a collegiate program offering the upper division nursing curriculum to students who had completed the required pre-requisite courses. The last class graduated from the diploma program in 1989. The first B.S.N. class was admitted in August of 1988 and graduated in 1990. The baccalaureate nursing program received approval from the Illinois Board of Professional Regulation (1987) and the Illinois Board for Higher Education (1987), accreditation from the National League for Nursing (1994) and accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (1992). The Allied Health programs in Radiography, Radiation Therapy, Nuclear Medicine Technology, and Medical Technology are done in partnership with accredited health care facilities. Each program is accredited by the appropriate accrediting body.

On January 1, 1997, Saint Joseph College of Nursing became a division of the College of St. Francis and took on the Allied Health programs. A year later, the move to university status was formalized and on January 1, 1998, the division was renamed College of Nursing and Allied Health. In 2000, the College began offering a Master of Science in Nursing. In January 2001, the University started a Master of Science program in Physician Assistant Studies in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The focus of the program is to educate individuals as physician assistants in order to provide for the primary health care needs of residents of New Mexico and the Southwest region of the United States.

MISSION

The College of Nursing and Allied Health offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, a Master of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, and a bachelor of science in four allied health areas. The College's mission is the education of the student as a whole person who can function as an accountable practitioner of nursing or an allied health field who has high ethical standards and a respect for human life. The program builds upon and integrates knowledge and values from general education courses in the liberal arts and sciences. The Franciscan values of respect, compassion, service and integrity, provide direction for carrying out the mission.

PROGRAM GOALS

The College of Nursing and Allied Health was established to provide an educational program which will prepare graduates to:
* Incorporate theoretical and empirical knowledge from the physical, social and behavioral sciences and humanities into nursing and allied health practices
* Incorporate respect for life and human dignity into nursing and allied health practices
* Advance social consciousness through political involvement and advocacy in issues which impact the health care system in the community and society as a whole
* Utilize the knowledge base as a foundation for graduate study
* Value learning as a lifelong process for continued personal and professional growth
* Contribute to the advancement of the profession
* Make informed and responsible decisions both in life and in the professions

THE BASIC BSN PROGRAM FOR TRADITIONAL, ADULT AND TRANSFER STUDENTS

Today's dynamic health care environment has created the need for nursing professionals who can apply a broad range of knowledge and skills. Whether a traditional USF incoming freshman or an adult or transfer student to the University of St. Francis, you will be prepared not only for the imminent changes in the nursing field, but also to be a competent clinician and a sensitive, caring advocate for your patients.

To complete the BSN, students must complete two years ( a minimum 64 s.h.) of lower division liberal arts and sciences courses as prerequisites to the upper division professional nursing courses at the College of Nursing and Allied Health. Our campus is located in Joliet, IL.

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College of Nursing and Allied Health Nursing School Location

College of Nursing and Allied Health Courses

CONCEPTS OF PROF NURSING
Introduces the student to the profession of nursing and the philosophy and organizing framework of the College of Nursing. The student is introduced to Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory, a foundational framework for nursing practice. The student is guided in conceptualizing how knowledge previously attained in the liberal arts, sciences, and the humanities interrelates with nursing practice.

OREM CONC & NR VALUE
Is a course designed for transfer students who have previously taken a course in Concepts of Nursing. This course will examine the philosophy and the organizing framework of the education program of the College of Nursing. Special emphasis of this course will be on Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory. The theoretical framework will be thoroughly examined. The student is guided in conceptualizing how knowledge previously attained in the liberal arts, sciences, and the humanities interrelates with nursing practice.

HUMAN NUTRITION
Expands the students' knowledge of nutritional concepts and issues. Student will examine their own dietary practices and devise strategies to modify them to improve their nutritional health. Open to all students.

FAMILY HEALTH ASSMT & WELLNESS
Addresses issues related to wellness promotion across the lifespan for individuals, families as well as components of family assessment. The course will focus on assessment of Orem's universal and developmental self-care requisites across the lifespan. The complex interrelationships that exist between health and functional levels of individuals, families, and communities are explored. Assessment of family dynamics is addressed with emphasis on the develop ment of self, personal boundries, family crisis, culture, and parenting. Professional, legal and ethical ramifications related to these content areas are also discussed.

HEALTH AND AGING
Designed to address the aging process across the health care continuum from wellness to illness. It provides an increased awareness of the special considerations important for maximizing the health of this popualtion. Provides students with a theoretical foundation concerning concepts and issues relevant to the care of older adults. The nursing process is utilized as a framework to strengthen the student's ability to utilize critical thinking skills, increase therapeutic communication effectiveness, and enhance professional nursing practice in providing care for gerontological clients.

PROF. NURSING PRACTICE I
Builds upon the knowledge acquired in previous sciences, the humanities and the nursing course in Level I. Through classroom and clinical experiences, the student examines the self-care requisites of clients from young adulthood through senescence. The course focuses onprofessional nursing interventions for health deviations. Clinical experiences provide further development and utilization of therapeutic communication. Opportunities for written and verbal communication are provided through client interaction, nursing care plans, and legal documentation. The nursing process is applied to clients of various ethnocultural origins who require primary and/or secondary levels of health care in a variety of settings. This course emphasizes supportive educative and partly compensatory nursing systems.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Builds upon the knowledge of normal human structure and function gained in anatomy and physiology courses in Level I. The course begins with a discussion of the concept of health versus disease. The focus is on disease or the physiological alterations in body structure and pathological distruptions in function. These deviations are discussed using Orem's universal self-care requisites as an organizing framework. The course is designed to allow the student to intgrate principles and concepts of Pathophysiology into concurrent and subsequent clinical nursing courses.

PHARMACOLOGY
Includes a broad overview of the historical development, regualtory control, and current practices which govern drug therapy. The realtionship of drug therapy to the universal self-care requisites across the life span is presented. Drug classifications with related actions, effects, and interactions are examined. The roles and responsibilities of the professional nurse in pharmacotherapy are identified. The course is designed to allow the student to integrate principles and concepts of drug therapy into clinical nursing courses. Prerequisites: Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Microbiology.

PROF. NURSING PRACTICE II
Builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses. Through classroom and clinical experiences, the student examines the self-care requisites of the childbearing and childrearing family and realted health care needs. Critical thinking skills are strengthened through the application of the nursing process in client care experiences and written assignments. Students work with clients requiring primary and/or secondary levels of health care in a variety of health care settings. Students are provided with the opportunity to practice therapeutic nursing interventions across diverse cultural and ethnic groups. Communication skills are developed with peers and members of the health team, legal documentation, and client/ family teaching. Onging development of the profession's role is supported through group discussion, analysis of client experience and care setting. Students are asked to apply research to clinical situations.

FAMILY PROCESS AND ASSESS
Acquaints students of nursing with the complex interrelationships that exist between the health and functional levels of families, individuals, and communities. Evolving family styles are compared with traditional definitions and theories. Assessment of Family dynamics and health patterns is taught with emphasis on the development of self within family units. Potentially problematic issues regarding personal boundaries, family crises, culture, and parenting are identified. Lastly, nontraditional family patterns are explored for the purpose of heightening student awareness and sensitivity to situation previously unknown or misunderstood.

ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES FOR HC
Focuses on the ethical and legal considerations which impact the nursing practice and the health care delivery system. Established standards are utilized as framework to promote ethical decision making. Legal parameters which affect the health care delivery system and their relationship to nursing practice are exposed. The course is designed to allow the student to integrate legal and ethical concepts into concurrent and subsequent clinical nursing courses.

SENSORY & COMM DEFICTS
Is designed to introduce the student to the collaborative role of the nurse in assisting clients to rectify self-care deficits related to communication disorders. The course focuses on sensorimotor communication disorders; their prevention, detection, and treatment; nursing care and rehabilitation across the life span. The biopsychosocial, as well as cultural-ethic, aspects which impact on communication are explored. The role of the nurse in assisting the client both in the community and acute care setting is emphasized. A case study approach incorporating appropriate nursing intervention for clients with complex communication disorders is used.

SPRITUAL/ETHNOCULTURAL ASPECT
Builds upon previous courses in the curriculum. The infulence of culture, ethnicity, and spiritual belief systems upon individuals is explored. The adaptation of the nursing process to include unique interpretations related to culture, ethnicity, and spiritual belief systems is presented. A variety of beliefs and practices regarding health and illness are discussed.

PROF NURSING PRACTICE III
Builds upon the knowledge and skills in Level I and II courses. The course focuses on the application of the nursing process to clients across the life span who are adapting to acute physiologic and/or psychiatric alterations within their internal and external environment. The case study approach is used to integrate universal, developmental, and health deviation self-care requisites. The student is assigned to care for clients in need of of partly compensatory, and wholly compensatory nursing interventions in secondary and teriary health care situations for the purpose of analyzing and integrating theoratical concepts.

COMPUTERS IN HEALTH CARE
Focuses on the use of computers in health care, particulary professional nursing practice. Issues and problems associated with access and use of computer technology in health care systems will be addressed. The historical prespectives of the computer and nursing will be examined. An overview of computer hardware including microcomputers, on-line networks, software, database managment systems, and data processing is discussed. The application of computers to nursing administrations, practice, education, and research is examined. The student taking this course will learn of nursing's proud contribution to nursing informatics. The importance of nursing's informatics to health care and the need for nursing data, information, and knowledge in the nursing profession will be discussed.

NURSING RESEARCH
Introduces the student to the research process and its application to nursing practice. The course focuses on an analysis of the steps of the research process, interpretation of research findings and evaluation of research outcomes. The value of research for the advancement of nursing knowledge is discussed. Prerequisites: Statistics, Level II course or instructor's permission.
CLIENT EDUCATION
Examines the supportive educative role of the nurse in assisting clients and families with self care deficits. The teaching process is used as a systematic approach to assess both the teacher and learner as biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural beings. The student will assess client's readiness to learn, develop various teaching strategies, and implement a plan for instruction for selected clients and families. The student will then evaluate the teaching-learning process.

THE MINISTRY OF NURSING
Will enhance personal growth and integration of a value/ belief system with professional nursing practice. This will occur by using the critical thinking skills of discrimination/contemplation, discernment, reflection, and meditation. Students will focus on nursing as a ministry and relate that to a personal sense of mission. Journal writing as a skill will be practiced. A one week format will be used to maintain the student's focus and concentration.

PAIN-CONCEPT MANAGEMENT
Is designed to be a culminating experience in which the student has an opportunity to apply, evaluate, and synthesize previously learned knowledge and skills from nursing and realted disciplines. It is designed to facilitate the development of the student's decision-making style, and critical thinking skills within a variety of health care settings. The focus of the course is the use of the nursing process with individuals, families, and groups experiencing pain. This course empahsizes supportive- educative, partly compensatory and wholly compensatory nursing systems.

HEALTHCARE AND AGING
Is designed to address the aging process across the healthcare continuum from wellness to illness. It provides an increased awareness of the special considerations important for maximizing the health of this population. The course provides students with a theoretical foundation concerning concepts and issues relevant to the care of older adults. The nursing process is utilized as a framework to strengthen the student's ability to utilize critical thinking skills, increase therapeutic communication effectiveness, and enhance professional nursing practice in providing care for the gerontological client.

INTRO TO CASE MANAGEMENT
Introduces the student to case management while giving the student an opportunity to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge in order to function effectively as a case manager in today's challenging health care environment. The history of case management processes and outcomes measurements are reviewed along with a discussion of legal and ethical issues. Examination of effective communication and conflict resolution strategies and an overview of trends in the industry is also covered.

PROF NURSING PRACTICE IV
Is the culminating experience in which the student has as opportunity to apply, evaluate and sythesize previously learned knowledge and skills from the nursing discipline and related disciplines. It is designed to facilitate the development of the student's own leadership potential, decision-making style, and critical thinking skills within a variety of health care settings. The focus of the course is the use of the nursing process with individuals, families, and groups experiencing physiological and/or psychosocial deficits. The student will examine and utilize the process of planned change within the health care system to improve the overall quality of health/life within the community. This course emphasizes supportive-educational, partly compensatory and wholly compensatory nursing systems with a particular emphasis upon the wholly compensatory.

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT IN HC
Provides an overview of management principles. Emphasis is given to the function of management within a health care setting.

PROF NURSING SEMINAR
Provides the student an opportunity to discuss the process of professionalism and role transtion which students are experiencing as they complete their educational experiences. This seminar focuses on the development of the self as a professional nurse. The issues related to the role of the baccalaureate prepared professional nurse in health care systems are analyzed. This course allows the student to critically think through related areas and express a definitive point of view with their Capstone Project.

PNP:IV CRITICAL CARE
Is designed to be a culminating experience in which the student has an opportunity to apply, evaluate and synethsize previously learned knowledge and skills from the nursing discipline and realted disciplines. It is designed to facilitate the development of the student's own leadership potential, decision-making style, and critical thinking skills within a variety of health care settings. The focus of this clinical course is the use of the nursing process with individuals, families, and groups experiencing physiological and/or psychosocial deficits. Students are given the opportunity to apply and synthesize theoretical concepts with clients who have multiple, acute and chronic health deviations. (30 hours of clinical are required for this course).

Other nursing schools in Illinois

Rockford College Considering a career in nursing? The Department of Nursing offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Our BSN program offers two trac... Address: 5050 E. State Street, Blanche Walker Burpee Center

Saint Anthony College of Nursing Saint Anthony College of Nursing is a private, Catholic institution. The College promotes a Christian philosophy in personal, professional and academi... Address: 5658 East State Street

Blessing-Rieman College (College of Nursing) Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing (B-RCN) offers a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree through two joint programs with our partners, C... Address: P.O. Box 7005 11th & Oak

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