The philosophy of the Temple College Associate Degree Nursing program reflects the beliefs of the faculty and provides the foundation for the nursing program. The philosophy of the program complements the institution’s mission statement by providing quality education to prepare ADN graduates who are capable of entry level employment in the diverse community served by Temple College. The purpose of the ADN program is to provide assistance in supplying the Central Texas area with qualified graduate nurses who are prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination to become registered nurses.

The faculty recognizes the holistic nature of the individual

with biological, psychological, and social dimensions. The biological dimension is represented by the physical being. The psychological dimension is represented by the mind. The social dimension is represented by the individual’s relationships with others. These dimensions are interrelated to create the whole. Because of the interrelatedness of these dimensions, when one dimension changes, other dimensions may be affected.

The individual is understood to be a dynamic being with varying capacity to meet their needs. A need is that which is necessary, useful, or desirable to maintain life. Each individual has the right to be actively involved in a plan to meet their needs. When active involvement is not possible, the individual is entitled to assistance in a caring manner.

in which caring behaviors are provided by interaction with the client in response to actual or potential unmet needs. Caring behaviors are those practices that demonstrate the nurse’s altruistic concern for the welfare of the client. Caring behaviors are integrated from both scientific and humanistic experiences. The five steps of the nursing process, assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation, are used as the method of critical thinking to integrate scientific principles with humanistic concerns. The nurse provides caring behaviors by performing in the roles of provider of care, coordinator of care, and profession member. These roles may be performed in a variety of settings. The nurse is accountable for performance in these roles not only to one’s self and the profession, but also to a local, national, and global society.

consists of experiences both didactic and practicum, that develop the individual’s potential to provide quality care. The foundation for these experiences is derived from scientific and humanistic concepts and principles. The faculty facilitates learning opportunities that provide the student exposure to knowledge, skills, technology, and belief systems necessary for professional nursing practice. These learning opportunities draw from and build on each other to provide progression in the development of nursing roles. Course work specific to nursing and the general core curriculum, as outlined by the college, comprises the formal education plan for the associate degree nursing student.

involving cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Learning in the nursing program is dependent on faculty-student interaction. The faculty has the responsibility for guiding the learner to experiences that will assist them in meeting the objectives of the nursing program. The student has the responsibility for acquiring the knowledge, values and skills necessary to meet the objectives of the nursing program. Both participants have the responsibility for creating and participating in a learning climate that fosters the maximum development of each individual’s potential. This focus recognizes that learning beyond the formal educational setting is essential and learning does not stop when the learner completes the formal learning plan

Therefore, the nursing curriculum incorporates the following concepts: the individual is a holistic being with varying capacity to meet their needs; nursing interacts with the individual in response to unmet needs by utilizing the nursing process to provide caring behaviors; the nurse performs in the roles of provider of care, coordinator of care, and profession member.

The role of the graduate associate degree nurse

in the profession of nursing is to:1) display a commitment to the value of caring by delivering client-centered care; 2) use the nursing process as a basis for critical thinking to integrate scientific and humanistic principles and concepts; 3) act as a coordinator in organizing and facilitating quality client care; 4) practice as a coordinator and provider of care in a variety of settings where policies and procedures are specified and guidance is available; 5) communicate effectively in performance of professional roles; 6) practice within the ethical and legal framework of nursing and be accountable for ensuring high standards of nursing practice; 7) be a contributing member within the profession of nursing.