• PHILOSOPHY



    WE BELIEVE THAT:

     

    1. A person is a thinking, feeling, social being, possessing individual worth and dignity and a variety of basic human needs. Based on the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and experience, an individual is capable of making rational decisions and choices about actions that will meet these basic human needs.

     

    1. Health is a dynamic process occurring along a continuum between optimal independence in maintaining basic needs and dependency on others for assistance in meeting those needs. Optimum health exists in people when they can achieve their highest level of function throughout the range of human life experiences. Health care is the process of promoting the individual’s quality of life through efforts to maintain, restore, or improve well-being, or independence in meeting basic needs.

     

    1. Nursing is a practice of disciplines that utilizes scientific knowledge and technology in delivering safe, skilled, competent health care to persons of all ages by application of the nursing process. The primary goal of nursing is to effect positive changes in health status by assisting the individual to achieve optimal independence of function along the health continuum.  The need for nursing exists when an individual is incapable of maintaining human needs as defined by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. Nursing involves health promotion and maintenance

    activities that facilitate the individual’s ability to achieve optimal health and independent function. Nursing attributes include the values, attitudes and personal qualities reflecting commitment to the legal and ethical practice of nursing. Practical nursing is the process of sharing in the provision of health care, under the supervision of a registered nurse, physician, dentist, or other licensed health care provider. The Practical Nurse is an integral part of the healthcare team, assisting individuals in maintaining, restoring, or improving health status and functioning as an advocate of the health care consumer. Practical Nursing uses effective and therapeutic communication skills in collaborating with healthcare team members and patients to coordinate the most optimal delivery of nursing care.

     

    1. Education is the systematic, life-long process of the acquisition of knowledge and experience that enhances the individual’s development toward his highest potential as a person and a contributing member of society. Learning is a goal directed process resulting in a change of behavior and understanding. Optimum learning takes place in an environment that:

     

    1. recognizes the individual as a unique human being with worth and dignity

    2. facilitates the progression of learning from simple to complex

    3. places accountability and responsibility for learning on the learner

    4. provides close correlation of theory with practical experience.

     

    1. Practical Nursing Education is a process of acquiring knowledge and skills in the provision of safe, effective nursing care. The process is most effective when conducted in an academic setting and concurrent clinical experience. This program curriculum identifies types of nursing situations in which the practical nurse is able to function safely and effectively according to state law. Application of the nursing process and development of clinical judgment and critical thinking skills are essential components of the Practical Nursing curriculum, which is organized in a body systems approach.

     

    The nursing process is the problem-solving approach used in developing a plan of care to meet the individual’s health needs. It involves assessment, analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care.

     

    Critical thinking is the deliberate process of collecting, interpreting, analyzing and applying information in clinical decision making. Critical thinking skills are demonstrated through clinical judgements which reflect accurate assessments and therapeutic nursing measures.

     

    Clinical  judgment is the process of understanding and interpreting the nursing process along with subjective and objective data and then recognizing a need for intervention if indicted. Clinical judgment requires the nurse to recognize signs that a problem exists and then implement and utilize critical thinking skills to respond to those signs.

     

    Revised 8/22