We believe that human beings are diverse individuals, possessed of dignity and worth, and motivated toward meeting basic human needs. These individuals are social beings who exist in interrelationships with other persons within dynamic environments. They have the freedom to make decisions and to assume responsibility for their choices.
 
     We believe that health is the achievement of a balance in physiological, pathophysiological, experiential and behavioral responses to internal and/or external stressors. Human responses are unique and predictable and are organized into patterns that provide a holistic view of the individual and serve as a basis for nursing support or action.
 
     Nursing is a profession involving “the diagnosis and treatment of human response” (ANA, 2003) to potential and actual health problems. The goal of nursing is to facilitate health promotion and disease prevention. This is accomplished through caring, patient-centered interactions which support the individual’s response. Nursing knowledge and skills are synthesized from the physical and behavioral sciences. The use of the nursing process provides the structure for critical thinking, clinical reasoning and making appropriate clinical judgments. Nursing incorporates knowledge into evidence-based practice to achieve patient outcomes and provide for patient safety.
 
     The Sinclair Nursing Faculty regard the Associate Degree as an appropriate level of entry into Registered Nursing practice and an integral part of the discipline of nursing. The faculty believe that Associate Degree Nursing focuses on care of persons who are at risk for or who have actual health problems with the intent of restoring/maintaining health, preventing illness, promoting wellness, and providing end of life care.
 
     Associate Degree Nursing practice is implemented through the roles of provider of care (which includes teacher and communicator), manager of patient care, and member of the profession (NLN, 1992). The Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) utilizes strong medical-surgical nursing knowledge as a foundation for evidence-based practice in a variety of health care settings. This requires an ability to functioneffectively in a technologically-advanced health care environment. Nursing practice is influenced by available resources, standards of care, and quality improvement information.
 
     The Associate Degree Nurse maintains accountability for individual practice and for the aspects of care assigned to peers, assigned/delegated to licensed practical nurses and delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel. The ADN
practices as a member of the interdisciplinary team, supporting autonomy of colleagues. The nurse acts as patient advocate and maintains accountability for outcomes.
 
     Nursing education is a process by which the learner is prepared to utilize cognitive, affective and psychomotor nursing skills to assume accountability for care within the community. The nurse educator’s role is to:
 
     · foster a learner-centered environment through small group format;
     · serve as a role model through demonstration of caring and professional conduct;
     · acknowledge the student as a unique individual with a readiness and ability to learn;
     · stimulate the student to pursue life-long learning.
 
The faculty perceive learning as an active and continuous process that builds on previous knowledge. Learning is facilitated when the student has the opportunity to grow through the application of nursing knowledge in a variety of situations. The community college setting provides the general education component which complements nursing courses and provides the opportunity for personal enrichment.
 
     A component of the teaching/learning process is the assessment of outcomes, a shared student-faculty responsibility. Assessment, like learning, takes place in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Evaluation of content mastery is assessed utilizing standardized criteria for classroom and clinical performance. Individual courses are assessed through course feedback tools. As a result of these evaluations, individual student achievement and program effectiveness, are appraised and validated. Assessment is valued for its use to improve teaching/learning, curriculum, and the nursing program.