Trenholm State Community College

The Practical Nursing is designed to provide students with the knowledge and proficiencies to provide safe and effective bedside nursing care within the scope of practice of licensed practical nurses. Students are instructed in the provision of nursing care for clients through the lifespan. Clinical experiences are provided at area hospitals and healthcare agencies in adult health, maternal health, child health, orthopedics, geriatrics, psychiatric and other areas of nursing practice.

The Practical Nursing Certificate is open to men and women; few careers match the versatility, satisfaction, and longevity afforded by a nursing career. Students who have satisfactorily completed the program may apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN). The Practical Nursing Certificate is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing. The PN Certificate has a competitive admissions process.

Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the nursing programs of the Alabama Community College System is to prepare graduates to practice safe, competent, patient-centered care in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care system. We seek to provide full and equal access to opportunities for educational success to meet the community's needs.

Nursing Philosophy

We believe that nursing is a dynamic profession, blending science with the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning and the art of caring and compassion to provide quality, patient-centered cared.

We believe learning is an interactive process in which faculty and students share the responsibility to meet program outcomes. We believe in using educational methods that are current and supportive of students in the teaching and learning environment, with the presentation of information from simple to complex.

Nursing is guided by standards of practice and standards of professional performance. Standards reflect the values and priorities of the nursing profession. Therefore, we have integrated competencies from the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) and National League for Nursing (NLN) into our philosophy as part of our core values.

Competencies

NLN competencies for nursing are central to the conceptual framework. The related QSEN competencies for graduate nurses define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the graduate nurse should possess to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work. (QSEN)

Human Flourishing - Advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings. (NLN def)

• Patient-Centered Care - Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs. (QSEN def)

Nursing Judgment - Make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and that promote the health of patient within the family and community context. (NLN def)

• Safety - Minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. (QSEN def)
• Informatics - Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. (QSEN def)

Professional Identity - Implement one’s role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context. (NLN def)

Teamwork and Collaboration - Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care. (QSEN def)

Spirit of Inquiry - Examine the evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, questions underlying assumptions, and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families, and communities. (NLN def)

Evidence-based Practice - Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care. (QSEN def)

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 def)

Goals

1. To prepare competent, entry-level practical nurses in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning disciplines.
2. To develop graduates who will successfully meet the entry-level expectations of diverse employers in the field of practical nursing.
3. To provide students with the support and materials needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
4. To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the knowledge base needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
5. To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the clinical proficiency needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
6. To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the appropriate behavioral skills needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
7. To provide employers with a pool of qualified, highly-skilled healthcare workers who are capable of executing a variety of tasks in the fields of practical nursing.

Outcomes

1. Performance on Licensure Exam

   The most recent annual licensure examination pass rate will be at least 80% for all first-time test-takers during the same 12-month period.

2. Completion

   Each program will determine completion rate based on the program demographics. Program completion is defined as the percentage of students admitted who graduate in no more than 150% of the time of the stated program length beginning with the first required nursing course as delineated below:

   PN Certificate – three semesters

3. Job Placement

   Each program will determine the job placement rate based on the program's demographics. Job Placement is defined as the Percentage of graduates employed in a position for which a nursing program prepared them.

4. Graduate and Employer Surveys

   Graduate and employer surveys are not mandated. Programs may continue to use the surveys as additional tools for assessing and evaluating outcomes.

   Reference: ACCS Nursing Concept Based Curriculum Program Guide, May 19, 2018