Curriculum Philosophy, Purpose & Goals

Philosophy

The faculty of Lakeview College of Nursing is committed to the following beliefs concerning caring, environment, health, nursing, nursing education, and person. As a discipline and a profession, nursing has a unique body of knowledge using various nursing theories and provides a vital service for individuals and their environment. Nursing is accountable for nursing practice based on a Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice, and evidence based research. The professional nurse provides healthcare based on the problem-solving methodology of the nursing process; assumes an active role for the improvement of healthcare; and facilitates persons to meet their healthcare needs throughout the lifespan. Nursing activities are relational and contextual and may be structured or unstructured. These activities require clinical judgment skills; diagnostic and monitoring skills; technological skills; and helping, coaching, teaching, counseling, and communication skills; and understanding of cultural diversity. Nursing is concerned with coordinating the care and professional resources to augment healthcare of the person.

Purpose

The College is committed to the values of adaptability, caring, excellence, integrity, and service by creating an environment for students to learn, grow, and flourish through self-assessment and application of theory and evidence-based practice. The type of environment enables the student to transition from learning to critical thinking. This in turn provides opportunities to determine optimal care for the person.

The graduate will be prepared at the baccalaureate level in nursing to function as a generalist who uses evidence based research in implementing the nursing process when caring for a diverse, multicultural society in a variety of healthcare settings. The major roles the graduate will be prepared to assume are direct care provider, planner/coordinator, manager, and member of the nursing profession and inter-professional health care team. The baccalaureate program is designed to prepare the graduate for professional nursing practice within the legal framework of the Illinois Nurse Practice Act of state of desired licensure practice.

Program Goals

The graduate of Lakeview College of Nursing is an intelligent, caring, and capable person who will be successful on the NCLEX, provide quality care, and value life-long learning. The graduate of the program will:

1. Advocate promoting health, well-being and optimal quality of life through a diverse, multicultural society through the practice of nursing in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.

2. Demonstrate the patient’s right to self-actualization by respecting the inherent worth and uniqueness of all those served.

3. Evaluate the interaction of and the adaptation to the internal and external environment to promote the integrity of the individual.

4. Provide professional nursing care which includes health promotion, prevention and maintenance in disrupted states of well-being, restoration, rehabilitation, health counseling and education based on knowledge derived from theory, research and practice.

5. Engage in life-long learning in order to enhance critical thinking skills in making decisions, clinical judgments and in problem solving.

6. Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge of the individual from nursing, scientific and humanistic disciplines with practice.