| Nursing Homepage |
| The philosophy and outcomes of the Nursing Education Department are in accord with the philosophy and mission of Massasoit Community College. The nursing faculty hold the following beliefs about the concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing. |
| Person: All individuals are unique possessing biological, psychological, spiritual and sociocultural characteristics. 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 seeking to gratify basic human needs. |
| Environment: The environment includes both internal and external forces: and consequently affect the individual's needs and health status. |
| Health: Health is a dynamic state, fluctuating along a wellness to illness continuum throughout the lifespan. Individuals seek optimal health through attainment of basic human needs. Optimal health encompasses mind, body and spirit to maintain homeostasis. |
| Nursing: Nursing is a dynamic caring profession that is both an art and a science. Nursing is the interaction between the client and the nurse. The client is an individual, family, or group needing specific health care services. Nurses facilitate and assist the client to meet identified actual or potential health needs across the lifespan. Nursing process is a facet of critical thinking utilized by the nurse to address health promotion, maintenance, restoration and a peaceful death. Goal directed therapeutic communication and nursing interventions provide a holistic, culturally congruent plan of care. |
| Nursing Education: Nursing theory consists of a body of nursing knowledge and principles obtained from scientific and humanistic sources. We believe that nursing education should occur in institutions of higher learning. Learning results from a continuous process between the learner and the environment where the learner progresses from a simple to complex knowledge base. This process may occur at any identified point of need and in a variety of settings. Each learner is unique, socially, and culturally diverse with individual learning needs. The faculty use teaching strategies designed to produce specific cognitive and behavioral changes, and to foster critical thinking. Individual learners require freedom to grow and to pursue personal goals, while developing skills to become a contributing member of the profession and society. The learner recognizes the need for lifelong learning to maintain competent and ethical practice in the rapidly changing and highly technical field of health care. |
| The Associate Degree Nurse: We believe that the graduate of the nursing program at Massasoit Community College is prepared to function as an entry level practitioner in both acute and long-term settings. 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 evidenced based research, and accountability while acting within the legal and ethical boundaries of the profession. |
The Conceptual Framework of the Massasoit Community College Nurse Education Department
The Nurse Education Department has developed a conceptual framework reflective of the philosophy of the program. This framework provides the basis for the design, development and outcomes for the nursing program. Nursing students are introduced to critical thinking (concepts) in the first semester. In operationalizing the nursing process as a blueprint for their practice, student nurses assist and collaborate in providing care for selected individuals and families while promoting, maintaining, and restoring health or supporting a peaceful death. Students learn to organize their approach using functional health patterns, prioritizing nursing diagnoses, identifying and evaluating outcomes. The student utilizes acquired theory base when implementing appropriate nursing interventions designed to meet client needs. Critical thinking skills are essential in all phases of the nursing process. |
| The curriculum is designed to introduce students to nursing care related to pathophysiological and psychosocial issues, ranging from simple to the complex. This is reflected in the theoretical content presented in each of the six nursing courses. These courses are organized to support the personal growth of the student in the professional nursing role. The framework determines the sequencing of course material and clinical learning experiences which occur in a variety of settings. |
| The faculty is committed to a holistic approach in education and health care delivery. The faculty role model professional practice and facilitate learning by coordinating resources and learning experiences for students with diverse personal, cultural and educational backgrounds. The faculty foster changes in attitudes and behaviors, critical thinking skills and personal and professional growth. The faculty continues to systematically plan, implement and evaluate the curriculum and the program in nursing. |
