Philosophy of Nursing
The philosophy and mission of the nurse education department is in accord with the philosophy, mission and goals of Massasoit Community College. The faculty of Massasoit Community College Nurse Education department recognizes faculty members, staff, nursing students, and members of the health care team as unique, caring, and highly motivated individuals. The faculty has designed the philosophy and curriculum around metaparadigms of person, environment, health, nurse education, nursing and the Associate Degree nurse.
PERSON:
All individuals are viewed as unique biopsychosocial, cultural, and spiritual beings who function as a whole in response to their environment. The individual exists as a member of society interacting with other individuals, families, groups, and the community. Each individual is capable of growth and adaptation as they interact with the environment to satisfy basic human needs. The faculty believe that each individual is worthy of respect, and dignity with a right to influence their own destiny.
ENVIRONMENT:
The environment consists of constantly changing internal and external forces that influence the development of the individual and affect the individual’s basic needs and health status. Rapidly changing forces contour the culture and practice of the health care environment and its complexities. The impact of these factors affects individual health care outcomes, nursing practice and health care delivery.
HEALTH:
Health is a dynamic process fluctuating along a continuum of wellness to illness throughout the lifespan. Optimal health encompasses body, mind, and spirit to maintain homeostasis. Health involves the ability of the individual to balance internal and external factors to achieve an optimal level of wellness.
NURSING:
Nursing is an essential health care profession that is both an art and a science. Nursing is practiced independently and collaboratively in the context of organizations and communities.
The practice of nursing is based on a unique body of knowledge derived from behavioral, social, natural and health sciences. Nursing is a dynamic interactive process that is concerned with the individual as a holistic being, throughout the life span. Nursing makes a distinct contribution to individuals, families, and communities in promoting health, reducing risk factors, preventing disease, managing illness, and supporting individuals in all phases of living and dying. The nurse is a presence, demonstrating caring behavior, who applies critical thinking to bridge the gap between technology and the human responses to illness and disease. Nurses operate from a scientific base utilizing the nursing process for integrating concepts and implementing therapeutic nursing interventions. Nursing continues to develop and redefine its knowledge base through scholarship and the utilization of research.
NURSE EDUCATION:
The faculty believes that nurse education should occur in institutions of higher learning. Learning is a goal directed life long process that changes behavior. The goal of the Nurse Education program is to facilitate student learning through the assimilation of knowledge, judgment, skill, and values of the professional nurse. Teaching and learning is an interactive process between the learner and the environment where the learner progresses from a simple to complex knowledge base. The student is an active participant in this process and is responsible for his/ her own learning.
Faculty serves as role models for caring, collaborating, delegating, and implementing competent nursing practice. Faculty provides learning experiences utilizing current technologies and evidenced based practice which guide the student toward program outcomes.
Faculty scholarship strives to provide a broad knowledge base, skills to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, develop self-understanding, adapt to, and institute change. Teaching strategies are designed to produce specific cognitive, psychomotor, and affective changes while fostering critical thinking. Nurse education must be dynamic and responsive in preparing students for the current and future nursing needs of people in a changing health care delivery system.
THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSE:
The graduate of the Nursing Education program is prepared to function as an entry-level practitioner in a variety of settings. Professional nurses provide nursing services to individuals of all ages and to families in a wide variety of settings where they function with varying degrees of independence and complexity.
The scope of practice of the AD nurse includes: application of critical thinking skills, utilization of the nursing process in the delivery and management of patient care, therapeutic communication with culturally diverse individuals, families, and groups, health teaching and advocacy, implementation of technical skills, utilization of evidence based research, delegation and accountability while acting within the legal and ethical boundaries of the profession (NOADN).