Complete College Catalog 2011-2012 - Rio Hondo College

NURSING PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Rio Hondo College provides all
qualified candidates who have
applied for admission to any Health
Science and Nursing program an
equal opportunity to successfully
complete their studies. There are,
however, two limiting factors
affecting selection which must be
recognized by all students:
1. The health, safety, and welfare of
the community and the student
must be a consideration in the
selection process.
2. College and community health
facilities limit the number of
candidates that can be admitted.
Rio Hondo College shall give to student
applicants credit in the appropriate
field for previous education and the
opportunity to obtain credit for other
acquired knowledge by the use of the
challenge examination. See Credit by
Examination Procedure.
Admission, transfer and credit by
examination policies shall be posted
in an area accessible to all interested
persons. A copy of the policy may
be obtained upon request. This
information shall also be made
available through the Counseling
Department and on the Rio Hondo
College web site.
Credit for Non-Collegiate
Registered Nursing
Training
Credit may be granted to a student
who has a valid California RN
license for nursing courses taken
at an accredited non-collegiate
RN nursing program toward the
Associate of Science Degree in
Nursing. Credit granted may not
exceed the total number of nursing
units required for the Associate
Degree in Nursing at Rio Hondo
College.
Associate Degree
Nursing Program
The Associate Degree Nursing
Program is a two-year program
designed to prepare students for
employment as a registered nurse
providing direct care to patients.
Graduates receive an Associate in
Science Degree of Nursing. The
program is accredited by the
California Sate Board of Registered
Nursing. Students who complete the
curriculum are qualified to take the
examination leading to licensure as a
Registered Nurse.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the nursing
program is in harmony with the
mission, vision, and goals of Rio
Hondo College. The Associate Degree
Nursing Program strives to be an
exemplary nursing program that
provides opportunities for students
from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities
and cultures to be educated,
responsible and caring community
members. Graduates are prepared for
licensure as registered nurses. The
faculty recognizes the importance of
also preparing students to practice
in a variety of settings as health
care delivery evolves. Teaching/
learning strategies will embrace
student centered competency-based
instruction. In addition, the program
has established quality improvement
measures to assure that educational
competencies have been met.
This nursing program embraces
three major concepts to provide an
organizational framework for the
curriculum. The major concepts are:
The Systems Developmental Stress
Model, The Nursing Process, and
Erickson’s Psycho-Social Theory of
Human Development. In addition,
the concept of an illness-wellness
continuum provides opportunities
for the nurse to intervene along
this continuum for therapeutic
purposes. Conceptual threads
are integrated throughout the
curriculum and provide theory
necessary to carry out roles of
the nurse. These threads include
development from conception
through death, personal hygiene,
human sexuality, pharmacology,
teaching-learning, nutrition, cultural
diversity, gerontology, leadership
and professional development, legal,
ethical, social and psychological
concerns.
The conceptual threads that
are interlaced throughout the
program are the essential core
components and competencies.
These competencies include:
professional behaviors, assessment,
communication, clinical decisionmaking,
caring interventions,
teaching and learning, collaboration
and managing care, critical thinking,
safety, legalities, ethics, fiscal
responsibility, diversity, evidence–
based practice, self reflection,
informatics and mathematics.
The curriculum is designed to
prepare the graduate to carry out
their roles as a nurse: planner of
care; provider of safe and skilled
care; communicator; client teacher;
and member of the profession. The
faculty believes it is essential for the
new graduate to be able to carry out
evidence-based care with efficient
use of resources. The graduate will
provide continuity of care as the
client moves from acute hospital
based care to care in transitional units
and other health care settings in the
community.
Theoretical concepts will be presented
from simple to complex, building
on learning acquisition. The faculty
believes that students need to apply
standards of critical thinking and
competency-based learning in
order to formulate sound clinical
judgments. Students are offered a
number of approaches to learning
including technology and computerassisted
instruction in order to
apply theory to a variety of clinical
situations. Also, opportunities for
learning are provided to students
through clinical assignments in acute
care, community facilities, the health
science skill center, online, technology,
and simulation. Learning may be
facilitated by referral to support
services provided by the college such
as financial aid, remediation, tutoring,
psychological counseling, and health
services. A student centered approach
to learning will be supported
by contemporary approaches to
education which provide a variety
of techniques to appeal to varied
learning styles. Student learning
outcomes and competencies will
measure student achievements.
Additionally the faculty believes that
curriculum should be developed and
implemented based on Knowles’s
Theory of Adult Learning, which
holds that the adult is self-directed
and a life long learner. Learning
progress is based on the student’s
mastery of course competencies.
Mastery results in graduates that
have achieved success in meeting
program outcomes and are able
to successfully pass the national
licensing exam. These graduates
are now prepared to transition into
the health care system ready for job
placement.
104 / Rio Hondo College 2011-2012 Catalog