ABOUT NURSING
In response to area needs, the Associate Degree Nursing Program was developed in 1972 and has since graduated more than 1200 nurses. Full approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBN: 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 311217, 478. 207. 1640) has been maintained since the program began. Full accreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC: 61 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10006, 212. 363. 5555) has been maintained since it was first sought in 1974.
Mission and Philosophy
The Mission Statement of Gordon College supports the mission of the University System of Georgia (USG) and the core mission components for state colleges in the University System. "Gordon College exists to provide educational and cultural opportunities both within and beyond this area" through 70 associate of arts, science, and applied science degree programs.
The nursing faculty of Gordon College's Division of Nursing and Health Sciences has developed a program mission, philosophy of nursing education, and educational outcomes that are consistent with the Mission of Gordon College. The faculty supports this mission by facilitating students' growth throughout their educational journey into professional nursing and beyond by preparing them to make decisions that enhance professional growth. The nursing programs mission, philosophy of nursing education, and educational outcomes follow:
Nursing Program Mission Statement
To facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills required by entry level professional nurses to give direct client care in a variety of health care settings.
Philosophy of Nursing Education
The practice of nursing is the "performance for compensation of any act in the care and counsel of the ill, injured, or infirm, and in the promotion and maintenance of health with individuals, groups, or both throughout the lifespan" (Georgia Registered Professional Nurse Practice Act, 1999, p. 3). Nurses are accountable for their actions and are required to provide nursing care within the legal boundaries established by their practice jurisdiction, using the ethical guidelines established by the American Nurses Association. Nursing "requires substantial specialized knowledge of the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and nursing theory as a basis for assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation" (Georgia Registered Professional Nurse Act, 1999, p. 3).
Nursing is a helping profession concerned with the lived health experiences of individuals, families, communities, and the society at large. The goal of nursing is to facilitate health promotion and maintenance. Each person is seen as a unique being inseparable from and in constant interaction with the environment. Each person has the potential to achieve an optimal level of health. Health promotion requires attention to physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of the individual. Relationship-centered care enables the nurse to interact with individuals in various settings to promote safe, effective, and caring health and healing.
The faculty subscribes to the National League of Nursing's educational outcomes concerning roles and competencies of the associate degree nursing graduate. The three roles of the associate degree nursing graduate include:
Provider of Care
The nursing graduate is accountable for providing safe, competent care and is prepared to function in a community-based, community-focused settings, as well as in acute-care settings within the health care system. Decisions made regarding nursing care involve utilization of the nursing process, critical thought, and a commitment to the value of caring.
Manager of Care
The nursing graduate assumes authority and accountability for the coordination of care by collaborating with other health care providers, organizing care, and delegating specific aspects of nursing care to other providers. In addition, nursing graduates demonstrate advocacy and respect for clients and the health care team, and seek assistance when the situation encountered is beyond their knowledge and experience.
Member within the Discipline of Nursing
The nursing graduate, upon becoming a member of the nursing profession, practices within the legal and ethical framework of the profession, recognizes the political, economical, and societal forces affecting the practice of nursing, and assumes responsibility for personal and professional growth and life-long learning.
Program Outcomes
Upon graduation, the associate degree nurse:
- Integrates principles and theories from the humanities, natural and social sciences, and nursing into culturally competent nursing care in a variety of health care settings.
- Communicates and collaborates effectively in the therapeutic nurse-client relationship as well as in other professional relationships.
- Utilizes the nursing process as a basis for determining client outcomes with the goal of facilitating optimal health for the individual, family or group.
- Practices within the legal and ethical framework of the profession.
- Incorporates political, economical, and societal forces into the practice of nursing. Coordinates the management of client outcomes with a commitment to caring.
- Utilizes critical thought in situations of ambiguity and risk to provide quality nursing care.