Philosophy

The following statements regarding human beings, health, nursing, nursing practice, nursing education, and the practice of the associate degree graduate represent the beliefs of the faculty of the Florida Community College at Jacksonville's (FCCJ's) associate degree nursing program. These statements are consistent with FCCJ's mission statement and give direction for planning, implementing, evaluating and modifying the program of study.

Human beings are unified organisms of biological, psychological, and sociocultural dimensions. They are endowed with the capacity to think, reason, and abstract meaning from perception supplied by the senses. The capacity for abstraction and the application of acquired knowledge to new and different situations enable human beings to have an unlimited potential for growth and development. Human beings continuously interact with their internal and external environment throughout the life cycle. They respond uniquely within the context of family, community and society.

Health is changing state which affects biological, psychological, and sociocultural responses to the environment. It is on a continuum ranging from wellness to illness, and is influenced by the individual's state of being, developmental stage and fulfillment of basic human needs.

Nursing, an interpersonal process based on applied principles of the psychological, biological, physical and social sciences, is concerned with the health and dignity of human beings. This process is applied in collaboration with the client, health team, and family. Nursing practice through the use of the nursing process, assists individuals and families within communities to achieve their potential for health or death with dignity through competent, ethical and skillful care.

Nursing Education is a dynamic teaching-learning process. It builds on a general education foundation which fosters the development of a core of nursing knowledge and skills. The teaching-learning process is a shared responsibility between the teacher and learner. The role of the teacher is to create a learning environment which will accommodate a student population comprised of various age groups with culturally and educationally diverse backgrounds. The teacher serves as a role model, imparts knowledge, fosters inquiry and provides the guidance, direction, feedback and reinforcement requisite to learning. The role of the learner is to participate actively in setting, achieving and evaluating learning goals. Learning is a continuous and active process involving the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains of the learner. Learning can be demonstrated by observation of changes in the behavior of the learner. It takes place through participation in selection experiences that enable the learner to identify concepts and apply principles. The learning process is enhanced by moving from the known to the unknown and through reinforcement of desired behaviors.

The scope of associate degree nursing practice is technically oriented and centers on direct client care in multi-variant settings. The role of the associate degree nurse are provider of care, manager of client care, and member within the discipline of nursing. Roles are operationalized through the process of caring, communicating, critical thinking, and teaching. The associate degree nurse share in the responsibility of the health team as an accountable care provider, concerned with common, recurring nursing care problems, standardized interventions and ongoing evaluation.