Overview of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The first two years of this program consist of general education courses which provide a liberal arts framework for completion of the nursing component of the program and pre-professional courses.

Upon admission to the upper division nursing courses, the student will complete six quarters of nursing education. This is a rigorous program with in-class time averaging approximately 20 hours/week. Students should be committed to considerable out-of-classroom preparation and study. It is expected that success will depend upon three hours of study per hour of classroom time. Class schedules may change at the discretion of the institution.

Preparation of the professional nurse requires classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. The clinical component of the nursing program will take place in various settings in the Knoxville area and beyond. Students are responsible for costs associated with these clinical rotations, and for any costs associated with any emergency services needed while participating in off-site activities.

Consistent with South College, the faculty of the Department of Nursing is committed to providing a degree program at the undergraduate level that builds on knowledge gained through general education experiences. This nursing education serves both traditional and nontraditional students and offers opportunities to enhance the community’s health care through participatory learning experiences.

Baccalaureate nursing education builds on the general education foundation and establishes the foundation for the beginner in nursing practice. The Department supports the pursuit of the commitment to lifelong learning in a dynamic and culturally diverse health care environment, promoting client advocacy, achieving and maintaining clinical competency, and providing service for the community and profession.

The nursing program received initial approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing in December 2003. The program was granted full accreditation in 2006 by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Department of Nursing Mission Statement

The South College Baccalaureate Nursing program builds on a foundation of liberal arts education, establishing the knowledge base and clinical expertise for the generalist in nursing practice. The faculty supports the commitment to lifelong learning in a dynamic and culturally diverse health care environment, promoting client advocacy, achieving and maintaining clinical competency, and providing service for the community and the profession. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides the foundation for graduate education.

Vision Statement of the Department of Nursing

The Department of Nursing aspires to become a baccalaureate program of distinction through an integrated and student-focused curriculum. The Department is committed to providing an education that values excellence in ethical patient care and professional growth and integrity.

Philosophy of the Department of Nursing

The Department of Nursing derives its purpose, mission, vision, philosophy, and objectives from South College. The wellness-illness continuum of care provides the overall organizing framework that serves as the structure for the nursing curriculum, with students introduced to a variety of nursing theoretical frameworks. Related concepts emphasized in the nursing curriculum include ethical decision-making, critical thinking, effective communication, leadership, and management.

Person

The person is a unique, holistic being with basic rights and choices. Each person experiences multiple stressors from continually changing internal and external environments. Clients of nursing care are composed of individuals, families, groups, and communities with diverse backgrounds, sharing common goals and values. Perceptions, attitudes, values, and goals are influenced by culture, race, spirituality, age, gender, and abilities.

Environment

The environment is a complex, open system functioning in a dynamic state of change. Economic, political, environmental, and technological factors also exert their effects on society. A cooperative and influencing relationship exists between the nurse and society as clients adapt to stressors in an effort to promote, maintain or restore health. The nurse promotes an environment in which a person’s needs may be met, while respecting individual differences related to values, customs, and responses to life experiences.

Health

Health is regarded as a dynamic phenomenon experience on the wellness-illness continuum, varying from high level wellness to illness and death. The level of health will vary as influenced by both internal and external factors to the individual’s optimal level of functioning. When the usual adaptive abilities are inadequate, the individual moves on the wellness-illness continuum towards a lower level of functioning. The primary focus of the nursing professional is to assist the client in achieving his or her optimal level of health.

Nursing

Nursing is both an art and a science. Professional nursing provides comprehensive health care services to clients in an effort to enable them to attain their optimal level of independence and wellness through the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. Nursing education is an interactive process, allowing the adult learner to incorporate previously learned knowledge, building a strong foundation for providing holistic, outcomes-oriented care. The profession works collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team to facilitate optimal client outcomes. The faculty believes that the baccalaureate degree is the professional degree for nursing, providing the groundwork for the graduate degree.

Purposes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The purposes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program are to provide undergraduate students with the:

1. Critical thinking, interpersonal, and technical skills of a nurse generalist;
2. Academic foundation necessary to pursue graduate education.

Outcomes of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is designed to prepare a professional nurse who will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Provide holistic care by applying the nursing process to manage the health care needs of culturally diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities;
2. Synthesize and apply knowledge from the humanities, the arts and letters, social and natural sciences, and nursing as a basis for decision-making in nursing practice;
3. Collaborate as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team, in partnership with the individual, family, group, or community, to promote health and wellness, and to influence health care delivery;
4. Contribute to the enhancement of nursing practice through the evaluation of health outcomes and the application of research;
5. Actively participate in the role of a professional nurse through leadership and lifelong learning.

Role of the BSN in Health Care Delivery

The role of the professional nurse is built on nursing knowledge, theory, and research. The bachelor's level nurse functions as a provider of care; a designer, manager and coordinator of care; and a member of the profession. The bachelor's prepared nurse serves as a patient advocate and educator, using technical, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making skills to promote individual and family well-being. As a designer, manager, and coordinator of care the professional nurse has the knowledge and authority to delegate tasks, supervise patient care and evaluate personnel in the context of a team setting. The nurse functions as a member of a profession by demonstrating a strong foundation of ethical values, becoming an active proponent of political action in the regulatory aspects of the changing health care arena, and assuming a commitment to life-long learning. (American Association of Colleges of Nursing)

Licensure

Upon completion of degree requirements, each student must make application to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Professional nurses are prohibited in all states from practicing nursing until the examination is successfully completed and licensure has been granted. Specific information regarding licensure will be provided to the student during the last quarter of the nursing program. State Boards of Nursing have the responsibility and right to deny licensure to persons who have been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation. Persons having a criminal record should consult the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Nursing available on line at http://www2.state.tn.us/health/Boards/Nursing/.