Copyright ©2006 , San Juan College • 4601 College Boulevard • Farmington, New Mexico 87402 • 505-326-3311
Academics
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Mission, Philosophies and GoalsSan Juan College Philosophy San Juan College strives to provide education and services to all individuals who seek this service both in and beyond its service area. In so doing, San Juan College asserts these fundamental beliefs: That every individual has inherent worth and potential, regardless of race, sex, age, socioeconomic group, or other factors, and the College pledges itself to provide a variety of programs and activities to develop that potential. That San Juan College is strongly community-based and anticipates, as well as responds to, the changing needs of the community while at the same time remaining accountable to its constituency. That education is a life-long process and every individual has a capacity for life-long learning; the community college is a fundamental provider in this quest. That San Juan College promotes cultural and enrichment activities and responds to community interest. That the college has a responsibility to the community and nation in assisting in the solution of the great problems that affect us at every level.
The mission of San Juan College is to improve the quality of life of the citizens it serves by meeting the educational and human needs of the entire community in concert with other community agencies, businesses, industries and other groups. To assist in the accomplishment of this mission, the college will assess needs, identify clientele, utilize appropriate resources, remove access barriers and develop and implement curriculum and services appropriate to a comprehensive community college. These services include the transfer function, vocational/technical training, developmental education, student services and community services. San Juan College will maintain accountability in all of its functions. The San Juan College Department of Nursing philosophy consists of the basic assumptions and beliefs that guide the framework of the nursing curriculum. This philosophy encompasses societal and individual human experiences (Salsberry, 1994), and addresses two central areas of commonality: the nature of human beings and the focus of nursing. Inherent fundamental assumptions provide the foundation of nursing philosophy. These assumptions are the respect that all individuals should have towards one another and the consideration for human dignity that should guide all nursing care. The four traditional elements of nursing philosophy are: Man or client, environment, health, and nursing (Barnum, 1998). Environment is both internal and external. It encompasses the world within and around the client. The changing environment stimulates the client to make adaptive or maladaptive responses. Environment includes all conditions, circumstances, and influences that surround and affect the development and behavior of the client (Andrews & Roy, 1991). Environment also refers to the setting in which nursing is practiced and in which the client receives health care. Practicing in a collaborative health care environment, the nurse promotes positive client outcomes. Health is defined as a state and a process of being and becoming an integrated and whole person. Health is also a continuum ranging from peak wellness to extreme poor health and death (Andrews, et al, 1991). Health implies harmony and balance among the various dimensions of human experience: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual (Neil, 2001). Health is a dynamic pattern of self-perception, clinical indices, and physical and psychological functioning. Throughout the lifespan, the client experiences differing levels of wellness, disease, and impairment. Health is influenced by inherent capabilities, growth and development, culture, environment, and personal perception. Internal and external stressors challenge the physiological and psychological integrity of the client. The client response to these stressors can be either adaptive or maladaptive. The role of nursing is to promote adaptation to internal and external stressors to achieve the most positive client outcomes. Nursing is both a science and an art. It is a scientific discipline that is practice-oriented, and it is a study of the art of caring (Salsberry, 1994). The recipient of nursing care is the client. Each client copes differently with changes in health status, and it is the nurse’s responsibility to help clients adapt to these changes (Andrews, et al, 1991). The nurse-client relationship is a collaborative one, built upon a foundation of therapeutic communication. Nursing assists the client to do those health-related activities that the client would do unaided if he/she possessed the strength, will or knowledge. Nursing focuses on helping the client in the performance of those activities that contribute to health or its recovery or to a peaceful, dignified death (Henderson, as cited in Perry, 2001). Nightingale articulated a definition of nursing that remains true today. She stated that the nurse’s role is to “put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him” (Nightingale, as cited in Dunphy, 2001).
SAN JUAN COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF NURSING The principles of learning reflect dynamic lifetime growth processes evidenced by changes in learner behavior, perception, attitudes, insights, and/or motivation. Learning is facilitated in settings that foster exchanges between teacher and learner and encourage the learner in self-directed study. Learning is a sequential process that proceeds from simple (concrete) to more complex (abstract) concepts. Associate degree nursing education provides a foundation for lifelong learning within the nursing profession. Nursing education is a discipline, structured to teach the art and science of nursing. It takes place in institutions of higher learning, utilizing classroom, simulated laboratory, and actual health care delivery settings. A variety of culturally diverse community settings are used to facilitate transcultural nursing practice in the Four Corners community. Each nursing student brings previous formal and informal learning experiences to the study of nursing. The nursing student assumes responsibility for the acquisition of the theoretical and applied components of the nursing curriculum. Within the educational system, nursing faculty serve as facilitators, evaluators and resource persons for nursing students as they pursue mastery of entry level nursing practice. Nursing education at San Juan College is built upon a framework that uses the organizational constructs of stress and adaptation and caring. In addition to those two constructs, the eight National League for Nursing Associate Degree core components provide the remainder of the framework. Those core components are: professional behavior, communication, assessment, clinical decision making, caring interventions, teaching and learning, collaboration, and managing care. These components closely reflect the nursing roles and responsibilities cited in the San Juan College nursing philosophy. Our curriculum progresses from concrete to abstract concepts and from simple to complex theoretical content. Both conceptual and theoretical content are reflected in the practicum portion of the program. Graduate outcomes are realized upon student mastery of the organizational constructs. Approved 12/9/82 The mission of the San Juan College Nursing Department is to provide the educational tools so our students may obtain a high quality nursing education and become valuable members of the health care profession. Toward that goal, we will encourage personal development and prepare the student for further nursing education and life long learning. Recognizing our close relationship with our community, we will strive to meet its continual and changing health care needs. Developed 2/13/95 NURSING DEPARTMENT PROGRAM GOAL To prepare the ADN to competently meet the health care needs of diverse populations in a continually changing environment. |
