Curriculum Objectives

and Competencies

The graduate nurse of the NCC Associate Degree Nursing Program will demonstrate the following:

1.                  Use the nursing process to manage and provide care to individuals across the lifespan through efficient and effective management of resources in a variety of health care settings.

a.      Prioritize care for individuals and groups of patients.

b.      Coordinate care delivered by members of the health care team along the continuum of care.

c.      Develop individualized plans of care for patients in a variety of settings and ensure implementation.

d.      Demonstrate competence in the delivery of cost effective nursing care using current technologies.

2.                  Communicate effectively with patients, their support systems, and the health care team through the use of interpersonal skills and technology.

a.      Utilize therapeutic communication skills with patients and their support systems to deliver nursing care and achieve positive patient outcomes.

b.      Communicate effectively in oral, written and electronic formats.

3.                  Perform ongoing comprehensive assessments of patients' health status and changing needs.

a.      Perform comprehensive ongoing assessments using multiple sources of data to plan and deliver nursing care.

b.      Identify resources and influential factors impacting the health care needs of the patients on an ongoing basis.

c.      Assess the educational needs of the patient, support system and their community.

4.                  Employ clinical decision making based on critical thinking skills and evidence-based practice to deliver safe effective nursing care through the nursing proceed.

a.      Make appropriate clinical judgments and decisions to plan outcome-based care based on the nursing process.

b.      Demonstrate ability to analyze and integrate knowledge, assessment data, and evidenced-based information to make clinical decisions.

c.      Participate in the research and performance improvement process, through problem identification and data collection to positively affect patient outcomes.

5.                  Demonstrate caring interventions based on physiological and psychosocial needs of the patient.

a.      Deliver individualized nursing care that reflects the patient's age, culture, values, beliefs, and lifestyle.

b.      Provide competent nursing care within the legal and ethical framework of nursing practice.

c.      Provide an environment for the patient and support system that promotes safety, comfort, trust, and achievement of optimal health.

d.      Exhibit a nurturing, caring, compassionate attitude toward patients and their support system

6.                  Collaborate with patients, support persons, members of the health care team and   community agencies to provide patient-centered quality care.

a.      Facilitate communication and cooperation among patient, support persons, peers, community agencies, and members of the health care team.

b.      Participate in planning, decision-making, problem solving and goal setting as a patient advocate.

c.      Plan and provide outcome focused care based on input and information from the patient, support person(s), and health care team.

7.                  Initiate the teaching-learning processes to promote, maintain, and restore health to individuals within their community.

a.      Identify teaching-learning needs for individuals and groups to promote, and maintain health.

b.      Provide formal and informal health education in various setting to achieve desired learning outcomes.

c.      Deliver education through collaboration with the patient, support person(s), peers, and health care team.

d.      Apply the nursing process to meet the teaching-learning needs of individuals within their community.

8.                  Demonstrate professional accountability and commitment to standards of professional   practice while practicing nursing within legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks.

a.      Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for care provident by self and/or delegated to others.

b.      Serves as a patient advocate.

c.      Identifies forces that are influential on the health care delivery system (i.e. economic, political, social, demographic).

d.      Recognize professional role responsibilities

e.      Conducts nursing practice within the legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks according to standards of professional nursing practice.

Approved:     May 1986

Revised:   May 1988, May 1994; Reviewed: May 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002