Nursing ADN Program

Program Requirements

Career Options

Program Goals

The Associate Degree Nursing faculty uses the following student learning outcomes and competencies to measure student achievement of end-of-program student learning outcomes and related competencies. 

Patient-Centered Care

• Provide safe, quality, evidence-based, patient-centered nursing care in a variety of healthcare settings to diverse patient populations throughout the lifespan.
• Conduct comprehensive and/or focused physical, behavioral, psychological, and spiritual assessment of health and illness parameters in patients, using developmentally and culturally appropriate approaches.
• Prioritize identified patient needs based on assessment findings.
• Develop a plan of care based on evidence-based practice considering individual patient needs.
• Implement patient-centered care that reflects an understanding of human growth and development, pathophysiology, pharmacology, nutrition, medical and nursing management throughout the lifespan and in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Promote factors that create a culture of safety.
• Provide comprehensive patient teaching that reflects developmental stage, age, culture, spirituality, patient preferences, and health literacy considerations.
• Implement nursing interventions to prevent illness, and restore, promote and maintain physical and mental health of patients across the lifespan in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Monitor patient outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of nursing care.
• Deliver care within expected timeframe.
• Provide patient-centered transitions of care and hand-off communications, including discharge planning, to ensure the receiving caregiver has the knowledge needed to provide safe care.
• Demonstrate cultural awareness/sensitivity when providing care to diverse patients in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Revise the plan of care based on an ongoing evaluation of patient outcomes including recognition of alterations to previous patient conditions.
• Demonstrate safe performance of psychomotor skills for efficient, safe, and compassionate patient care including accurate calculation of dosages.
• Document accurately all aspects of patient care.

Clinical Judgment

• Engage in clinical judgment to make patient-centered care decisions.
• Use clinical judgment to make management decisions to ensure accurate and safe nursing care, including addressing anticipated changes in the patient's condition.
• Display skill in using clinical judgment when implementing all steps of the nursing process while integrating best available evidence.
• Anticipate risks, and predict and manage potential complications.
• Prioritize patient care.
• Evaluate the impact of economic, political, social, and demographic forces on the delivery of healthcare.
• Analyze the clinical microsystem and its impact on the nurse’s ability to provide safe, quality care.

Quality Improvement

• Participate in quality improvement processes to improve patient care.
• Apply quality improvement processes to effectively implement patient safety initiatives and monitor performance measures, including nursing-sensitive indicators in the microsystem of care.
• Analyze information about quality improvement projects in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Identify gaps between local and best practice and provide interventions for closing the gaps.
• Participate in analyzing errors and identifying system improvements.
• Implement National Patient Safety Goals in all applicable patient care settings.

Collaboration and Teamwork

• Participate in collaboration and teamwork with members of the interprofessional team, the patient, and the patient’s support persons.
• Communicate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and the patient’s support network when making decisions and planning care.
• Collaborate with the appropriate interprofessional healthcare provider to communicate data collected during patient care.
• Implement patient safety and quality improvement within the context of the interprofessional team in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Employ conflict resolution principles as needed.

Information Management

• Use information management principles, techniques and systems, and patient care technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making.
• Use patient care technologies, information systems/technologies, and communication devices to support safe nursing practice.
• Evaluate the role of information technology and information systems in improving patient care outcomes and creating a safe care environment.
• Apply patient care technologies as appropriate to address the needs of a diverse patient population.

Leadership, Management, Legal, and Ethical

• Assimilate leadership, management, legal, and ethical guidelines in practice as a professional nurse.
• Practice within the legal and ethical frameworks of nursing practice.
• Analyze planned patient care within the context of the ANA Standards of Practice.
• Model accountability and responsibility for nursing care given by self and/or delegated to others as applied to the care of all patients.
• Apply management skills and knowledge of the rules and principles of delegation when working with other healthcare team members.
• Serve as a patient advocate.
• Respond to natural and manmade disasters.
• Initiate a plan for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.

Program Cost

Estimated Cost for an Associate Degree in Nursing based on the 63 credit hour program:

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