Associate Degree Nursing A.A.S. Degree [A45110]

Program Information

The Associate Degree Nursing curriculum provides knowledge, skills, and strategies to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs which impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential.

Course work includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEXRN). Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities.

Note: See Admission requirements for the ADN program outlined in the “Admissions” section.

Semester-by-Semester Plan

First Year

Fall Semester

BIO 168	Anatomy and Physiology I	4
NUR 111	Introduction to Health Concepts	8
NUR 117	Pharmacology	2
PSY 150	General Psychology	3
Total Credit Hours:		17

Spring Semester

BIO 169	Anatomy and Physiology II	4
NUR 112	Health-Illness Concepts	5
NUR 114	Holistic Health Concepts	5
PSY 241	Developmental Psychology	3
Total Credit Hours:		17

Summer Semester

BIO 275	Microbiology	4
ENG 111	Writing and Inquiry	3
	Humanities/Fine Arts	3
Total Credit Hours:		10

Second Year

Fall Semester

ENG 112	Writing and Research in the Disciplines	3
NUR 113	Family Health Concepts	5
NUR 211	Health Care Concepts	5
NUR 212AB	Health System Concepts	2
Total Credit Hours:		15

Spring Semester

NUR 212BB	Health System Concepts	3
NUR 213	Complex Health Concepts	10
Total Credit Hours:		13

Total Credit Hours: 72

Program Learning Outcomes

NLN Human Flourishing:

Advocate for clients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings.

QSEN Client Centered Care: Recognize the client or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for client preferences, values and needs.

NLN 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 clients within a family and community context.

QSEN Safety: Minimize risk of harm to client and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.

QSEN Informatics: Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making.

NLN Professional Identity:

Ethically and responsibly practice nursing, integrating best practices, client advocacy, and quality caring interventions to promote safe care within a family and community context.

QSEN Teamwork and Collaboration: The student will function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality client care.

NLN Spirit of Inquiry:

Participate in evidence-based practice to improve quality of care for clients, families, and communities.

QSEN Quality Improvement: Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems.

QSEN Evidence Based Practice: Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and client/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care.

Technical Requirements

 

Standard	Description	Example
Critical thinking skills	Critical thinking ability for effective clinical reasoning and clinical judgment consistent with level of educational preparation.	Initiate, evaluate, and update plan of care. Organize workload to manage time effectively and prioritize the delivery of client care Use resources effectively to understand the evidence, context of situations, and perspectives to make logical and informed decisions.
Interpersonal skills	Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interactions with a diverse population of individuals, families and groups.	Maintain client confidentiality/privacy. Establish professional and ethical relationships with others and seek assistance when needed. Ability to accept constructive criticism. Display accountability and personal integrity understanding that student behavior impacts others. Ability to delegate appropriately. Ability to respond to stress and adapt to changing environments inherent in clinical practice; particularly anger, frustration, and excitement appropriately. Ability to operate in different cultural settings.
Communication skills	Communication skills sufficient for verbal and written professional interactions.	Explain treatments, procedures, initiate health teaching, and verify client consents to care. Document and interpret nursing actions and client responses. Display the capacity to engage in successful conflict resolution and advocate for client rights and needs. Effectively communicate with coworkers, clients, and members of the interdisciplinary team. Provide and receive report on assigned clients. Use therapeutic communication techniques to provide support.
Psychomotor skills	Psychomotor skills sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care.	Movement about client's room, and/or work spaces to complete client assessment or promote circulation (ROM, positioning) Administer rescue procedures- cardiopulmonary resuscitation Demonstrate ability to work for long periods. Calibration and use of equipment safely. Perform procedures necessary to safely admit, transfer, or discharge a client. Prepare and administer medications and/or treatments. Perform basic skills (Foley, tube feedings, maintain orthopedic devices, perform post-mortem care). Must be able to lift 30 pounds safely.
Assessment Skills	Assessment Skills sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care.	Ability to perform targeted screening assessments (vision, hearing, nutrition). Ability to respond to client distress calls. Ability to observe client’s condition and responses to treatments. Assess a client’s condition. Read and interpret health care provider’s orders. Read monitors, medication labels, and other equipment accurately. Ability to palpate in physical examinations and various therapeutic interventions.