Philosophy of Nursing
Mount Carmel College of Nursing provides educational programs in a Judeo-Christian environment which enhance the unique intellectual, moral, spiritual, and psychosocial development of the person. The faculty accepts responsibility to prepare professional nurses for theory and evidence based practice at the basic and advanced levels that reflects the values and standards of the profession.
Caring is integral to nursing, valuing the dignity and worth of persons, service to others, social justice, altruism, autonomy, and integrity. Nursing is the practice of caring behaviors founded upon the integration of general education and professional studies. Nursing involves the management of the health care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. The nurse is a health care professional who enacts multifaceted roles to promote optimal health during all life experiences. Nurses work collaboratively with clients and multidisciplinary teams to design, provide, coordinate, implement, and evaluate health care. They respond to the diverse and changing needs of society in the local community as well as the broader global community. Nurses are both knowledgeable and active in political, economic, and regulatory processes that influence health care practices.
Health involves the harmonious integration of all dimensions of the client; it is culturally defined, valued, and practiced. Health is a dynamic, lifelong, multidimensional process whether the client is an individual, family, community, or population. Changes in health status occur in response to the stressors and strengths of the internal and external environment. The nurse provides holistic, culturally competent caring interventions directed at assisting the client to promote health.
Baccalaureate nursing education provides the foundation for safety and quality in professional nursing practice. Through a collaborative and interactive process, the self-directed learner develops the skills of critical thinking, effective communication, holistic assessment, caregiving, and leadership for professional practice. Clinical practice, which is the essence of nursing, is augmented through nursing theory and evidence based practice. Baccalaureate nursing education encourages lifelong inquiry for professional development.
Baccalaureate nursing education provides the foundation for specialized roles in clinical practice, education, and administration. Research, theory for advanced practice, and strategies for validating and utilizing research findings are integral to graduate study.
Baccalaureate Nursing Program Outcomes
The undergraduate program prepares a graduate who:
- Applies the knowledge of the relationship of the physical and social sciences and humanities as a basis for professional nursing.
- Exhibits the values of dignity of persons, service to others, social justice, altruism, autonomy, and integrity in the care of clients.
- Practices culturally competent caring behaviors.
- Uses evidence-based practice to promote the health of clients;
- Incorporates professional behaviors within one’s role as a member of the nursing profession and society;
- Implements the nursing process to maximize the health outcomes of clients through the use of evidence based practice;
- Implements the communication process within the professional role;
- Uses leadership skills to design, provide, coordinate, and manage health care in the achievement of safety and quality in client care;
- Collaborates with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams to provide quality care for clients through the efficient management of resources;
- Implements critical thinking; and
- Demonstrates clinical competence in a variety of settings with diverse populations.
General Education in the Nursing Program
General education is the foundation of professional education and provides the learner with the opportunity to develop the skills of critical thinking, independent decision making, and leadership, along with value formation and openness to cultural diversity. General education integrates and bridges the disciplines. It weaves a cohesive pattern of meaning into the total life experience. The practice of professional nursing is based on a synthesis of knowledge from the humanities, sciences, nursing theory, and research.
Honors Program
The Mount Carmel College of Nursing Honors Program is designed to:
- cultivate an appreciation for lifelong learning for exceptional students’
- motivate students in the pursuit of graduate study;
- provide exceptional students with opportunities for challenging study; and
- provide faculty development opportunities to work with exceptional students.
The Honors Program consists of two nursing seminars at an advanced level. One seminar is placed in the sophomore year and one in the junior year, with an option in the senior year to take an MCCN graduate level course. These two nursing seminars replace the required four credit hours of nursing seminars in the curriculum.
Students are eligible to enter the program the first semester of the sophomore year. Students must have earned a 3.75 GPA at the completion of freshman coursework at MCCN. Upper level transfer students must complete a minimum of one semester of course work at MCCN to be eligible for the Honors Program. Students must maintain at least a 3.50 GPA to remain in the Program.
Statement of Student Responsibility
Students are solely responsible for knowing and following Mount Carmel College of Nursing policies and procedures and for their own successful progress and completion of the degree program and requirements they select. While advisors are available to help students with course selection, each student is responsible for seeking clarification regarding progression through the curriculum. At all times, each student is also responsible for seeking clarification and/or assistance from faculty, staff, or administrators.
Degree Programs and Curriculum
