Department of Nursing | Gordon State College
The nursing faculty of Gordon State College's Department of Nursing has developed a mission, vision and philosophy that are consistent with those of Gordon State College. The faculty supports this by integrating the principles of the mission, vision, and philosophy throughout the curriculum as reflected within the programs student learning outcomes.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Nursing is to educate professional nurses who are able to provide competent, quality, and holistic care that meets individual, family, and community needs in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Degree offerings at the Associate and Baccalaureate level (Pre-licensure BSN and RN-BSN completion) provide the opportunity to educate nurses who have the knowledge, skill, and aptitude to:
- accept increased responsibility as providers, designers, managers, and coordinators of care.
- make clinical decisions based on sound nursing judgment, critical thinking, and current research-based evidence.
- scrutinize, appraise, interpret, and apply research-based evidence to clinical practice.
- promote the health of the local, regional, and global community through collaboration and effective communication with interdisciplinary team members.
- provide safe and quality nursing care for individuals, families, and communities.
- flourish in the profession of nursing by becoming global thinkers who extend their knowledge through inquiry, discovery, and life-long learning.
- accept the responsibility and accountability inherent with becoming a member of the nursing profession.
Vision Statement
The vision of the Department of Nursing is to become one of Georgia’s regional leaders in the education of professional nurses.
Philosophy
Professional nursing practice requires substantial specialized knowledge from the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and other disciplines. The intricacy of this specialized knowledge supports the faculty affirmation that nursing is both an art and a science. Essential to the art of nursing are caring and holism. Caring produces internal feelings of well-being, while holism reflects on the uniqueness of individuals, inseparable from, although in constant interaction with their environment. In order to convey caring and to recognize individuals holistically one must carefully consider the individual’s mind, body, and spirit.
Critical thinking and the nursing process are vital components of the science of nursing. The provision of safe and competent nursing care is dependent upon the use of these two components for the clinical decision-making process. Evidence-based research is one mechanism by which the science of nursing informs practice. The translation of current evidence into practice promotes positive client outcomes and safe, quality care.
Professional leadership entails improving healthcare delivery and quality of care through the analysis of current practice trends, discovery of new knowledge, and offering new insights to facilitate change. Community and global involvement through political advocacy, leadership, innovation, and life-long learning are essential for developing professional identity.
The nursing faculty believes that our fundamental commitment is to nurture a learning community of excellence that instills and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration & communication, caring, civility, integrity, critical thinking/clinical reasoning, continuing competency, client safety & quality care, professionalism & responsible management of information/technology, and the use of evidence-based practice for both associate and baccalaureate graduates. In addition, graduates of the baccalaureate program will be able to integrate research, community/population health, leadership skills, and healthcare policy into nursing practice within a global community. To strengthen this commitment to excellence, the faculty has adopted and woven components of the following entities into the associate and baccalaureate curriculums.
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN): ACEN Standards
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice
- Georgia Board of Nursing
- Institute of Medicine: Recommendations for Nursing Education
- National League for Nursing: Core Values
- National League for Nursing: Outcomes and Competencies for Graduates of Practical/Vocational, Diploma, Associate Degree, Baccalaureate, Master’s, Practice Doctorate, and Research Doctorate Programs in Nursing
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Institute (QSEN): Core QSEN Competencies
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Individuals and Community
Individuals represent a diverse range of ages, cultures, socioeconomic, and ethnic characteristics that are reflective of the larger community. Individual diversity is recognized as a source of strength in progressing toward the fulfillment of human capacities and connection to the community.
Teaching & Learning
Nursing education is a dynamic, interactive process best accomplished in an environment that fosters growth by nurturing, engaging, and challenging both students and faculty. Fundamental to an effective learning process is the recognition that each individual approach learning with a unique background of formal and experiential knowledge. Active learning strategies facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies to foster the development of a professional identity through critical thought, inquiry, self-awareness, communication, advocacy, and empowerment.
Nursing Practice & Quality Care
Nursing practice centers on the health care needs of individuals, families, and groups in many diverse settings. The nurse incorporates nursing judgment, ethics guidelines, inter-professional collaboration, and legal standards to ensure the provision of safe and quality care for clients across the lifespan. The professional nurse advocates for change in healthcare policy, delivery, and access to influence the nature and functioning of the healthcare system.