Introduction
In nursing, the quality of curricula and educational programs, as well as the approaches to the delivery and the assessment of knowledge are the determinants of the future quality of the program graduates’ professional performance. As a result, the level of responsibility of the professionals involved in the formulation of the educational programs is very high. Many aspects and needs are to be taken into consideration. This paper presents a description of admission requirements and program outcomes for a two-year ADN program.
The Program Expectations
In order to clearly and carefully outline the admission requirements and program outcomes for a two-year ADN program, it is important to establish the nursing philosophy that the program will adhere to. One of the primary aspects of this philosophy should be the use of the holistic approach to people based on their individuality and the inclusion of the diverse individuals, their families, and environments (Health Sciences, 2014; Godshall, 2009). Further, actions are to be viewed as the outcomes of one’s needs and diseases – as the lack of satisfaction of the particular needs. In turn, nursing has an objective to assist to the health needs of the individuals by means of the application of careful planning and assessment, the utilization of expert knowledge and evidence-based practice, creative solutions, and fast reactions (Health Sciences, 2014).
Prior to the definition of the specific admission requirements and program outcomes of the AND program, each course and educational institution are to adhere to a set of general learning outcomes. As inspired by Durham Technical Community College (2016), the following set of general education learning outcomes is proposed for the course:
- The improvement of communication skills (clear and effective oral and written self-expression)
- Cultural competency (respect and recognition of diversity in the society)
- Behavioral competency (respectful behaviors, polite speech, punctuality, integrity)
- Successful learning (knowledge of learning techniques and time-management)
- Ethical decision-making and problem-solving.
The goals for practice should involve the following:
- The appropriate application of theoretical and practical knowledge acquired with the help of the program
- Application of critical thinking and self-improvement strategies
- Align the practice with its core competencies
- Provide a caring approach (Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), 2010).
Admission Requirements
Along with a series of documents required for the students to be evaluated as eligible for the course, there are the high school transcripts that confirm the educational compatibility of the applicants. In particular, the list of the required documents includes:
- Criminal history disclosure form
- Immunization form
- COMPASS or ACT test requirements
- Students who have completed a course of math within at least five years before the application – they are required to have minimum 65 points in Algebra.
- Students who have not taken a course of Algebra within 5 years should take a college course in it (For COMPASS)
- Minimum of 20 points on ACT test
- GPA 2.5 minimum requirement
- Health status documents confirming that the health status of the applicants is suitable for taking the course (Admission Requirements, 2016).
Required courses
Semester I
Anatomy and physiology (4)
College experience (1)
Introduction to Psychology (1)
Introduction to Patient Care (4)
Semester II
Anatomy and physiology (4)
Statistics (2)
Nursing Fundamentals (2)
Patient Care (3)
Semester III
Self-development in Nursing (2)
Maternal Nursing (1)
Pharmacology (4)
Geriatric Nursing (1)
Semester IV
Behavioral Health (2)
Biochemistry (1)
Introduction to Microbiology (1)
Nursing Concepts (4)
The program does not have a requirement for clinical practice experience because it is a pre-licensure program. However, the program requires CPR training certificate for healthcare providers that covers the CPR of an adult, an infant, and a child (ADN Admission Requirements, 2016; Associate Degree Nursing, 2016).
Program Outcomes
The program outcomes are directed at the students’ acquisition of the basic and expert knowledge and skills as related to their nursing practice and be able to apply them on a daily basis. Namely, the general outcomes of this program include the following set of abilities and skills:
- The ability to use the concept of disease and health in the nursing practice
- Daily apply the skills of critical thinking, decision making, and creative problem-solving while operating knowledge from the nursing theory, the humanities, and the biophysical sciences when working with patients and their families
- Be able to work and communicate successfully with diverse members of the society and versatile communities ensuring inclusion, respect, and understanding of cultural diversity
- Promote health and wellness and educate the patients and their families using effective and relevant teaching strategies
- Identify the most suitable evidence-based practices and utilize them in practice of the nursing care management
- Enable the patients, their families, and communities to become engaged in the process of health care provision; and also, use teamwork skills with the peers and the professionals of other fields
- Have deep and comprehensive knowledge of nursing ethics and legal requirements in order to practice safety and security in the workplace
- Be aware that a nursing professional is to constantly work of self-improvement and self-education, keep up with the latest tendencies and issues
- Master the newest technologies for faster professional growth and the perfection of nursing practice (Nursing Program Outcomes, 2016).
Besides, when it comes to the practical side of the outcomes, the aspects below are to be in place.
Patient care outcomes:
- The ability to deliver patient-centered care (conducting an assessment of a patient’s behavior, emotional, and physical health, be able to set treatment priorities in accordance with the needs of the patient)
- Provide patient education with full understanding of the growth and development cycles, promote health and safe lifestyle
- Plan treatment (be able to fit the treatment within the outlined plan, align the plan with the priorities and the assessment findings)
- Prevent and address illness
- Be competent in the specificity of the health care transitions and cross-disciplinary collaboration and interaction
- Know how to maintain the documentation of the delivered procedures and practices (ADN Mission, Program Outcomes, and Student Learning Outcomes and Competencies, 2016).
Collaboration and teamwork outcomes:
- Be able to function within a team and be an effective team member, use collaborative care
- Apply conflict management and resolution skills in order to ensure balanced and cooperative work
- Participate in cross-disciplinary collaboration
- Have excellent knowledge of patient safety practices
- Apply quality improvement strategies
Management of information:
- Be able to operate systems used for the processing and storage of the patient information
- Be fully aware of the role of the technologies and systems in the contemporary healthcare and its improvement
- Use the technologies and data in order to assess and address the needs of patients on a daily basis
Besides the learning outcomes of the developed program, there are the outcomes that reflect the general goals of this curriculum and its role for the organization and the students. These factors are designed to help evaluate the effectiveness of the program and its quality as related to the needs and benefits of the learners. The following set of requirements reflects the expected general program outcomes:
- Offer the opportunities to improve education, access information, and qualification for the diverse population of learners
- Demonstrate a high rate of student retention (less than 20% drop outs)
- Ensure that the vast majority of the graduate professionals are able to find employment within half a year after the program completion
- Connect the program with local communities, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience, interdisciplinary collaboration
- Offer timely feedback and enable the learners to evaluate their own academic success, the effectiveness of their courses and tutors (Nursing Associate Degree Program Requirements, n. d.).
References
Admission Requirements. (2016). Web.
ADN Admission Requirements. (2016). Web.
ADN Mission, Program Outcomes, and Student Learning Outcomes and Associate Competencies. (2016). Web.
Associate Degree Nursing. (2016). Web.
Associate Degree Nursing (ADN). (2010). Web.
Durham Technical Community College. (2016). Associate Degree Nursing Student Handbook. Web.
Godshall, M. (2009). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Review Manual. Springer Publishing, New York, NY.
Health Sciences. (2014). Web.
Nursing Associate Degree Program Requirements. (n. d.). Web.
Nursing Program Outcomes. (2016). Web.