STUDENT HANDBOOK - ITT Technical Institute

Associate Degree, Nursing ProgramMission, Philosophy and FrameworkMission: The mission of the ITT Technical Institute's Associate Degree, Nursing program is theeducation of individuals from diverse backgrounds to be well-prepared registered nurses who canprovide competent care in a variety of ever-changing health care settings. Within the program, alearner-centered environment of mutual respect promotes individuals to grow intellectually andpersonally through the integration of theoretical concepts, values and nursing knowledge inclassroom learning activities and clinical experiences. Individual accountability as a member ofthe nursing profession and commitment to life-long learning and community service are graduateexpectations.Philosophy: The philosophy of the Associate Degree, Nursing program represents the faculty’sbeliefs concerning the Nursing Paradigm: Nursing, Person, Environment, Health and Learning.Nursing: Nursing is both an art and a science, the interactions of which make nursing unique.Nursing values guide the provision of compassionate nursing care in all settings. Nursing, as anevidenced-based practice, is organized and directed by the use of the Nursing Process, a criticalthinking, problem solving, decision tool for directing competent nursing care. The goal ofnursing care is health promotion and maintenance for optimal living. Nursing is dynamic andrequires critical thinking, therapeutic communication skills and competent technical abilities inthe application of evidence-based practice. Nursing knowledge has its foundations in conceptsand principles from the humanities, and the social, behavioral, physical and biological sciences.Professional nursing care is guided by the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics forNurses, professional standards of practice and state and national regulatory standards.Person: Individuals are unique, have innate value and are worthy of respect. All individualshave physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs through differing levels of growth and lifespan development. Each individual has rights, interests and goals which must be considered incare plan development and the provision of nursing care. Each person is part of a social structure,which may be a family, a group or a community.Environment: The environment includes both external and internal elements. The externalenvironment in which the individual functions includes family, groups and communities. Familyconsists of the individual's immediate support system and may be by either choice or contract.Physical aspects of shelter and food, along with economic, political, cultural and spiritualinfluences, are part of the external environment. By contrast, the internal environment includesthe individual's unique life experiences and perceptions, including their spiritual and culturalbeliefs. Physiologic processes affected by stress and adaptation are also part of the internalenvironment. Both the external and internal environments influence individual responses tonursing care.Health: Health is a dynamic state, defined by each person in relation to personal values, beliefs,feelings and needs. Health is on a continuum from wellness to illness to death, where healthpromotion and maintenance for optimal living are the goals of nursing care.Learning: Learning is a life-long pursuit of the acquisition of knowledge and includes thedevelopment of critical thinking abilities, competent skill development and behavioral andattitudinal changes. Learning is influenced by individual experiences and previous knowledgeattainment. Students are diverse individuals with differing learning needs and styles. The nurse