Conceptual Framework

The program design of the Associate Degree Nursing curriculum at Odessa College is based on the belief that each client is an individual and has health care needs that are based on their environment, culture, and previous experiences. The individuality of each person is unique and health care should reflect this individuality. The curriculum addresses the changing needs of individuals, families, and the community as well as the changing health care climate. These needs are based on physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs of the individuals, families, and the community. The following concepts form the basis for the program design:

Role of the Nurse: Provider of Care, Coordinator of Care; and Member of a Profession

Continuum of Care
Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
Decision-making Skills
Growth and Development
Communication
Professionalism

The Nurse's Role is defined as provider of care, coordinator of care, and member of a profession. As a provider of care, the nurse is responsible for providing competent and appropriate care to clients in a caring, culturally sensitive and holistic manner. The nurse bases care on the health status and needs of clients as well as scientific principles. Decision making skills are vital to analyzing client data/condition to make appropriate decisions for meeting health care needs. As coordinator of care, the nurse collaborates with and encourages effective communication between clients, families, and other members of the health care team. The nurse plans and delivers individualized health care according to client and family needs. As a member of a profession, the nurse assumes accountability and responsibility for his/her own nursing actions and practices within the boundaries of the Nursing Practice Act and Nurse's Code of Ethics. In this role, the nurse functions as a client advocate. The nurse maintains currency in practice and promotes activities to enhance the profession of nursing.

Continuum of Care is the nurse 's intervention when necessary throughout the life cycle. The care is given to clients of all ages in partnership with the clients and/or families inhealth promotion, health maintenance, and health restoration. Care is based on the developmental level as well as cultural, socioeconomic, and spiritual needs.

Health Promotion/Disease Prevention includes providing education and health care activities to promote the highest level of performance for the client/family. In accomplishing this goal, the nurse relies on knowledge of growth and development, cultural and socioeconomic influences, and community resources to encourage the client/family to achieve a high level of function.

Decision making skills are based on the scientific method of inquiry, using both intellectual and creative skills to make sound clinical decisions. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to implement the nursing process in each client encounter and bases nursing action on scientific knowledge as well as previous experiences to prioritize client needs.

Communication skills include written, verbal, nonverbal techniques and presencing as essential components of the provision of holistic health care. Effective use of communication skills enables nurses to establish trust and convey a caring attitude toward the client/family. Caring attitudes involve compassion, nonjudgmental affirmation, respect and the art of being fully present to another human being. Written communication is the art of documenting client information to accurately portray client condition, nursing actions, and client responses to nursing actions.

Professionalism indicates a desire for excellence in their chosen field of nursing, and demonstrates a sense of ethics and responsibility in relationships to nursing. It is a lifelong endeavor to achieve excellence in the practice of nursing. The professional demonstrates an attitude of openness and kindness in interpersonal relationships, focuses on the needs of others and conducts self in a manner to facilitate good communication between members of the health care team and clients/families.

Growth and Development encompasses changes encountered as a person matures physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and intellectually from the fetal stage through death.