Philosophy

The philosophy of the Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) program is congruent with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) mission statement and is supported by the works of Marjory Gordon and the National League for Nursing. The faculty believes that:

• Each individual is a unique, holistic being with bio-psychosocial, cultural and spiritual dimensions in constant interaction with the environment. All human beings have in common certain functional patterns that contribute to their health, quality of life, and achievement of human potential;
• The dynamic process of mastering core competencies is essential to the practice of contemporary and futuristic nursing. This process illustrates the personal, progressive, and lifelong professional development of the nurse through the accumulation, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge, scientific findings and human experience. The components of this A.D.N. conceptual model include: core values, integrating concepts, program outcomes and nursing practice;
• Learning is an individual and lifelong process evidenced by changed behavior resulting from the acquisition of knowledge, practice and ethical comportment. Knowledge encompasses the realms of science and theory. Practice includes the ability to engage in a thoughtful, deliberate, and informed way. Ethical comportment involves the individual's formation within a set of recognized responsibilities; it includes the notions of "good practice" and "boundaries of practice." Learning in an educational setting is enhanced by a teacher/student relationship in which the teacher's responsibility is to structure and facilitate optimal conditions for critical thinking and learning through clearly defined student learning outcomes. The student brings to this relationship the willingness to learn and is accountable for his/her education. Recognizing that both the rate and style of learning differ with individuals, various strategies are utilized to facilitate the achievement of student learning outcomes, attainment of maximum potential, and promotion of continued learning;
• The A.D.N. graduate, having achieved the graduate outcomes, is prepared to practice in a variety of settings within the parameters of individual knowledge and experience according to the standards of practice. The role of the A.D.N. graduate includes human flourishing, nursing judgment, professional identity, and spirit of inquiry. Encompassed within these roles are the core components of context and environment, knowledge and science, personal 'professional development, quality and safety, relationship-centered-care, and teamwork.