The ADN program prepares graduates for entry into professional nursing practice as registered nurses. The curriculum emphasizes clinical judgment, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, teamwork, and professional accountability.
End of Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Appraise the nurse's role as a member of the interprofessional healthcare team.
- Assemble current evidence-based practices to provide safe patient care practices by using clinical judgment and the nursing process.
- Evaluate personal bias to optimize patient outcomes as they relate to social determinants of patient health.
- Consider communication strategies to provide a therapeutic environment.
- Assess the registered nurse’s scope of practice to ensure the quality of nursing care.
End of Program Outcomes
Consistent with the mission and goals of the MCHP Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program Core competencies established by the 6-NLN Integrating Concepts of associate degree education, and the standards outlined by the ACEN for degree granting nursing programs, the following outcomes have been selected by the faculty to assist in measuring the quality and effectiveness of the program:
- 60% of the traditional ADN students who remain in the NUR 115 course after the add-drop period will complete the program in four semesters.
- 60% of the bridge ADN students who remain in the NUR 131 course after the add-drop period will complete the program in three semesters.
- Graduating class that passes the NCLEX-RN with an annual (12 months)-80% pass rate on the first sitting.
- 90% of alumni surveys (phone calls, texts, emails) will demonstrate that the alumni has secured employment in a registered position within four (4) months after passing all program requirements.
Organizational Framework
The curriculum supports the achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes and is consistent with safe practice in contemporary healthcare environments. Teaching and learning practices are congruent with expected student outcomes. The ADN program was developed according to the National League for Nursing (NLN) professional standards and competencies:
National League for Nursing-Six Integrating Concepts
The ADN program has integrated the NLN four competencies and six integrating concepts into the curriculum. These integrating concepts provide the framework for nursing education.
The Four Competencies
- Spirit of Inquiry: Examine the evidence that underlines clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, question underlying assumptions and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families, and communities.
- Professional Identity: Implement one’s role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context.
- Nursing Judgment: Make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and promote the health of patients, families, and communities.
- Human Flourishing: Advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings.
The Six Integrating concepts are as follows:
- Safety: Safety is the foundation upon which all other aspects of quality care are built.
- Quality: Quality is operationalized from an individual, unit and systems perspective.
- Team/collaboration: Team/collaboration-fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
- Relationship-Centered Care: Core to nursing practice, relationship-centered care includes caring; (therapeutic relationships with patients, families and communities; and professional relationships with members of the interprofessional team.
- Systems-Based Care: Nurses practice in systems of care to achieve healthcare goals.
- Personal/Professional Development: This refers to the individual’s formation within a set of recognized responsibilities. It includes the notion of good practice, boundaries of practice, and professional identity formation
(Integrating concepts and definitions are transcribed from NLN, 2014).
The ADN curriculum was developed, implemented, and continues to be revised to reflect relevant professional nursing standards and competencies. Both individual and aggregate student outcomes throughout the program are based upon these professional nursing standards. The integration of these professional nursing standards and competencies provides students with a framework for nursing practice.