The Practical Nursing faculty believe nursing is a dynamic, evidence-informed profession focused on promoting health, preventing illness, restoring wellness, and supporting individuals across the lifespan. Nursing care is delivered through collaboration, communication, clinical judgment, compassion, and respect for human dignity.
The faculty believe learning is an active and continuous process that occurs through classroom instruction, laboratory experiences, simulation, clinical practice, reflection, and professional engagement. Students are expected to assume responsibility for their learning and demonstrate growth in knowledge, skills, professionalism, and clinical competence.
The faculty are committed to creating supportive learning environments that promote accountability, ethical practice, patient safety, cultural sensitivity, and preparation for entry-level practical nursing practice.
The administration and faculty of the Practical Nursing Program believe that nursing education is grounded in core nursing paradigms, professional values, and competencies that support safe, client-centered care. The curriculum is organized around the practical nurse role and incorporates the client needs categories identified in the NCLEX-PN Test Plan developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). These areas include:
- Safe and Effective Care Environment
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Physiological Integrity
The curriculum also integrates concepts consistent with Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN), evidence-based practice, clinical judgment, communication, professionalism, and patient-centered care.
The educational aim of the Practical Nursing Program is to prepare competent, compassionate, and ethical practical nurses who are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN and function safely within the role and scope of the licensed practical nurse under the direction of licensed providers. Graduates are prepared to contribute to patient-centered care, promote health and safety, and collaborate effectively within healthcare teams across diverse settings.
The conceptual framework of the Practical Nursing Program is eclectic and draws from nursing and related disciplines. The framework includes the concepts of:
- Person
- Health
- Environment
- Nursing
- Nursing Process
- Teaching and Learning
- Professionalism
These concepts support the development of practical nursing knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and professional behaviors necessary for safe nursing practice.