Mission and Goals
To strengthen the health and wellbeing of the people of our communities by preparing students as professional nurses who engage in critical reasoning and creative thinking to design, provide, and coordinate exceptional nursing care in a dynamic healthcare environment.
BSN Program Expected Outcomes
Expected Outcomes of the LCSC BSN Program include:
- Graduates well prepared for entry level professional nursing practice (Indicators: NCLEX-RN® pass rate equal to or greater than the state and national averages; Alumni surveys; Anecdotal student feedback; Exit Interviews; Employer surveys).
- Graduates who develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based care rooted in
ethical, legal, and professional values and standards. (Indicators: HESI, Employer
surveys, Advisory board, Nursing research projects, Alumni Survey, NCLEX pass
rates).
- Graduates who are satisfied with their educational experience at LCSC. (Indicators: Alumni surveys; Anecdotal student feedback; Exit Interviews).
- Graduates who reflect the rich diversity of those we serve. (Indicators:
Demographics of graduates; Advisory Board; Employer surveys; Alumni surveys;
Idaho Nursing Workforce Center data; Idaho Board of Nursing data).
- Graduates whose values and behaviors demonstrate respect for human diversity
(Indicators: NU 360 course projects; IAPRC outcomes test; Employer surveys;
Alumni surveys; Nursing research projects; HESI).
- Graduates committed to continued professional growth. (Indicators: Exit
Interviews; Alumni surveys; Employer surveys).
- Graduates who advocate for patients and the nursing profession. (Indicators:
Specific questions on Alumni and Employer surveys focused on political involvement, participation in a professional nursing organization, mentoring students, involvement in community, and other volunteerism).
BSN Program Philosophy
The faculty of the Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, in support of the
mission of Lewis-Clark State College, the Division of Nursing and Health Sciences and
the BSN Program, is committed to providing an outstanding undergraduate education for
the preparation of professional nurses. The philosophy of the BSN program reflects the
beliefs of the faculty and is based on the synergy of three concepts:
- The Science of Nursing
- The Art of Nursing
- The Teaching/Learning Environment
Synergy is the working together of two or more parts when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities.
We believe the Art of Nursing and the Science of Nursing are synergistic and within the
teaching learning environment provide the philosophical basis for the BSN program.
We believe the BSN prepared graduate professional nurse is prepared to meet the
challenges of an ever-changing healthcare environment, assuming leadership roles in the
profession, advocating on behalf of clients and participating in the political processes impacting healthcare and the profession of nursing.
Science of Nursing
We believe that the nursing process is the scientific methodology whereby nurses plan
interventions. It is the critical process of the science of nursing, a deliberate problem solving approach to meeting people’s health care and nursing needs.
We believe that critical thinking and evidenced based practice and research are the
foundations from which clinical reasoning and clinical judgment arise.
We believe that understanding the complexity of human needs requires extensive
knowledge and integration of the life and social sciences.
Art of Nursing
We believe that Caring Practices along with the American Nurses Association Code
of Ethics creates a compassionate, supportive, and therapeutic environment for patients, family members, communities and colleagues with the aim of promoting comfort and healing and preventing unnecessary suffering.
We believe the 7 C’s of Caring define understanding of the caring concept for the nurse
and the client.
- Commitment – Commitment to relationship is essential to caring. Nursing is a
mutual interactive process producing an experience where both the client and
nurse benefit.
- Compassion – Compassion means having an understanding of and being sensitive
to situations and needs, understanding an experience from another’s perspective.
- Confidence – Encourages trust, truth, and respect without fear or conditions.
- Competence – Combining judgment and skills with knowledge and experience to
best serve the client.
- Conscience –A process of valuing self and others. Conscience encompasses the
principles of humanistic nursing care and the American Nurses Association Code
of Ethics.
- Collaboration – working with others in a way that promotes/encourages each
person’s contributions toward achieving optimal/realistic patient/family goals.
Involves inter-disciplinary work with colleagues and community.
- Cultural Sensitivity - to recognize, appreciate and incorporate differences into the provision of care. Differences may include, but are not limited to, cultural
differences, spiritual beliefs, gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, socioeconomic
status, age, and values.
Teaching/Learning Environment
We believe in providing an environment that requires the student to be actively involved and to take responsibility for their learning.
We believe in and strive to create an interactive teaching-learning environment which
embraces various teaching methods and modalities and takes into account student
learning preferences.
We believe the faculty develops curriculum that facilitates learning that is responsive to the changing health care environment.
We believe that paramount to the curriculum are the AACN Professional Roles of
Provider of Care, Designer/Manager/Coordinator of Care and Member of the Profession.
We believe in providing a safe environment that facilitates open communication where
experiential learning is encouraged.
We believe that adult learning principles guide the curriculum. Students are encouraged
to extend and refine previous knowledge and experiences to examine the complex
meaning of nursing phenomena.
We believe that professional collegial relationships between faculty and students are
essential.
We believe in fostering students’ intellectual curiosity and a commitment to life long
learning.
We believe that the faculty’s teaching expertise, personal scholarship, professionalism
and clinical excellence provides students with the tools to develop an expert level of
practice as professional nurses.
