RN to BSN Track

Mission and Expected Outcomes

RN to BSN Program Mission Statement

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.

RN to BSN Student Outcomes

1. Upon graduation, students are well prepared to function as a Baccalaureate nurse in a various healthcare settings.
2. Graduates well-prepared to participate as a member of interdisciplinary healthcare teams.
3. Graduates well prepared to understand and assume leadership roles in the healthcare system.
4. Stakeholders who are satisfied with the RN to BSN curriculum and educational experience.
5. Students who successfully complete and graduate from the program.

RN to 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 RN to BSN Program, is committed to providing an outstanding undergraduate education for the preparation of professional nurses. The philosophy of the RN to 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 RN to BSN program.

We believe the RN to BSN prepared professional nurse graduate 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.