Department of Nursing

Department of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook Nursing Students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni Achieving Success Against The Odds Motto, Graduating Nursing Class of 1994" ACCREDITED BY: APPROVED BY: National League of Nursing Commission on Collegiate Delaware Board of Nursing Accreditation Commission Nursing Education 820 Silver Lake Road 3343 Peachtree Road NE, One DuPont Circle, NW, Suite 530 Dover, Delaware 19904 Suite 850 Washington, DC 20036 302.744.4500 Atlanta, Georgia 30326 202.887.6791 404.975.5000 www.aacn.nche.edu www.nlnac.org 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION..PAGE I: Introduction... 5 A. Purpose of the Nursing Student Handbook..... 5 B. Greetings from the Dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy... 6 C. Greetings from the Chairperson of the Department of Nursing.... 7 D. History of Delaware State University... 8 E. History of the Department of Nursing.... 9 II: Mission, Philosophy, Purposes, and Outcomes.... A. Delaware State University Mission and Philosophy...... 11 B. College of Education, Health and Public Policy Mission..... 12 C. Department of Nursing Mission and Philosophy...... 12 D. Purposes and Outcomes of the Nursing Program........ 14 E. Department of Nursing Organizational Chart... 15 III: Curriculum.... A. Organizing Framework... 1. Visual Scheme... 17 2. Glossary of Terms.... 20 B. Undergraduate Programs of Study...... 1. Curriculum: Four-year Program of Study BSN Course Descriptions & Prerequisites... 24 2. RN BSN Program of Study.... 29 C. Nursing Curricula: Pre-Professional Phase & Professional Phase.. 31 D. Nursing Program of Study Graph......... 32 E. Undergraduate Nursing Program Outcomes... 33 IV: Academic Policies... I. Policies Related to Admission to Nursing Program. 35 II. Policies Related to Progression, Probation, Dismissal & Readmission... 38 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE IV: Academic Policies (cont) III: Policies Related to Graduation... 41 IV. General Academic Policies... 42 V. Academic Dishonesty Policies 45 VI. Clinical Practicum Policies.. 48 V: Nursing Student Activities and Resources..... A. Nursing Student Association... 55 B. Nursing Honor Society.... 55 C. Scholarships and Loans... 55 D. Computer Lab... 56 E. Nursing Skills Lab... 56 3

SECTION I INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS 4

INTRODUCTION A. Purpose of the Nursing Student Handbook The faculty of the Department of Nursing is pleased to have you as a student of this department. You have chosen a major in a discipline that is demanding and exacting. For the remainder of the time that you are in the Nursing Program, you will be learning to care for clients who will be dependent upon you to exercise good judgment and be accountable for your actions at all times. For this reason, this handbook has been prepared for you and is to be used to assist you to adapt to the professional nursing student role. It contains information about regulations that are prerequisites to and requisites for success in the Nursing Program. This information is to be used as a supplement to the general University Student Handbook. Published by Delaware State University Department of Nursing Dover, Delaware 19901 And it is available online at http://www.desu.edu/2008-2009-student-handbook. Delaware State University is an Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity Institution. The provisions in the Nursing Student Handbook do not constitute a contract between a student and the Department of Nursing. The nursing faculty, through appropriate University procedures, reserves the right to revise any provision or policy at any time within the student s term of enrollment, if deemed advisable. Advance notice of any changes will be given whenever possible. 5

B. Greetings from the Dean College of Education, Health and Public Policy of Delaware State University On behalf of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy, I am pleased to welcome you to Delaware State University and the Department of Nursing. By entering DSU and choosing a career in nursing, you will become a part of a profession that is dedicated to helping people. The years ahead of you will be filled with hard work in the classroom, laboratory and clinical placements. However, you will also reap pleasure from the services you have provided. Your family and friends, as well as the faculty, administration and staff, are here to assist you in reaching your goal. Please do not hesitate to seek the support you need. Best wishes as you pursue your degree in nursing. Sincerely, John N. Austin, Interim Dean 6

Greetings from the Chairperson Department of Nursing Welcome to the Department of Nursing at Delaware State University. We take great pride in your selection of professional nursing as your career choice. This Nursing Program will present you with many challenges. You will learn how to overcome those challenges to become the professional you want to be. Overcoming the challenges will be done through your fortitude, persistence, asking questions and being prepared for each class day. Your goal is to remain focused on your desired outcome. The Department of Nursing has established purposes and goals that direct and guide us to achieve outcomes that benefit students, faculty and the community. The Department of Nursing has the responsibility for educating its students to be responsible practitioners, lifelong learners, inquisitive users of medical science and practitioners of evidence-based knowledge. The faculty in the Department of Nursing is vested in preparing future nurses who: 1) can work within the diverse segments of nursing; 2) understand the nature of cultural diversity; 3) can work with diverse cultural populations, and 4) use evidence-based practice. The Department of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. There is a special track for licensed practical nurses seeking a BS degree in Nursing. The department offers a RN- BSN track for nurses prepared in diploma or Associate degree nursing programs who desire to earn a BS in Nursing. For nurses seeking a Master s Degree in Nursing, the department offers the Master of Science in Nursing degree. The Department of Nursing is currently accredited by both the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). We take pride in these accreditations as each ensures the public of the quality of the program into which they may enter. Contact information for the accreditors is located on the cover page. Again, I welcome you to the Department of Nursing. This will be an enriching experience for you and for the faculty of the department. With warm regards, Yvonne N. Stringfield, Ed.D., RN Chair and Associate Professor 7

C. Background and History of Delaware State University Delaware State University is located in the beautiful capital city of Dover in Delaware. It is a modern 400-acre educational facility boasting a pleasant social environment and challenging academic programs. Delaware State University is a 1890s land-grant Historically Black College and University. Currently, the University has approximately 3,800 students from a variety of cultural, ethic and international backgrounds. Degrees in various academic disciplines are offered. Over the years, Delaware State University has developed its 400-acre campus into a complex consisting of a University Plaza, numerous buildings, the newest of which include the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, the Wellness & Recreation Center, William C. Jason Library, Luna I. Mishoe Science Center, Bank of America Building, and the Administration Building, which offers a one stop student center for financial aid, registration and admission activities in one area of the building. Delaware State College became a University in 1993 and has since been able to increase its cadre of faculty with terminal degrees, enhance its focus on teaching and increase its efforts of scholarship and service to the community, state and the nation. Delaware State University is centrally located on the Delmarva Peninsula, approximately 100 miles or less from Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, New Jersey and New York. Delaware State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The baccalaureate degree Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and approved by the Delaware Board of Nursing. The Nursing Program has been awarded preliminary accreditation approval from the Collegiate Commission of Nursing Education (CCNE). The program maintains membership in the National League for Nursing Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. At the academic hub of Delaware State University is the William C. Jason Library. The library has cataloged collections of more than 314,133 printed volumes, and including its collection of electronic books and journals, micro books, microfiche, audio-visual volumes and bound periodicals, the library has a total holding of more than 475,033. The University offers orientation and counseling services for beginning and returning students, financial aid and scholarships, medical benefits and placement services. 8

D. History of the Department of Nursing The Nursing Program at Delaware State University was developed in response to a federally funded survey that determined a need in Delaware for more nurses from diverse backgrounds prepared at the baccalaureate degree level. In 1972, the Nursing Program at then-delaware State College gained approval from the College Faculty Senate, the Delaware State College Board of Trustees, and provisional approval from the Delaware Board of Nursing with full approval in 1973. The first class of students was admitted to the Nursing Program in January 1975. The first class graduated in December 1978. In 1987, the Nursing Program received its initial accreditation by the National League for Nursing. In September 1989, the RN to BSN path was established, but became inactive in 2002. The LPN- BSN track was initiated in 1993. This path allowed LPNs who were seeking the BSN to enter the BSN Program and earn credit for prior learning through challenge exams. In 2003, the Nursing Program received initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and re-accreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The MSN Program, in fall 2005, ushered in the first graduate Community Health in nursing program in the state of Delaware. This program allowed students a choice between a traditional role in Community Health and the advanced role of Clinical Nurse Specialist. This program is complemented by the nursing education track. The department provides a computer laboratory that is equipped with personal computers and interactive video to facilitate learning. The Price Building has six Smart classrooms that are utilized for nursing courses. Student organizations within the Department of Nursing include the Student Nurses Association and Nursing Honor Society. In 2006, the Charter Chapter of the Chi Eta Phi Sorority inducted the first ten student members and inaugurated the Tau Eta Alpha Beta Chapter at DSU. The BSN and MSN programs admit students who meet the admission criteria and who demonstrate potential for success in professional nursing practice. The affordable tuition makes Delaware State University s Nursing Program an excellent choice for the beginning student as well as the adults returning to school to continue their education. Delaware State University Department of Nursing 1200 North DuPont Highway Price Building Room 123 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: 302.857.6750 Fax: 302.857.6755 www.desu.edu/nursing 9

SECTION II MISSION, PHILOSOPHY, PURPOSES AND GOALS-OUTCOMES 10

A. Mission Statements 1. Delaware State University (DSU) Mission Delaware State University is a public, comprehensive, 1890 land-grant institution. The mission of the University is to provide for the people of Delaware and others who are admitted, meaningful and relevant education that emphasizes both the liberal and professional aspects of higher education. Within this context, the University provides educational opportunities to all qualified citizens of this state and other states at a cost consistent with the economic status of the students as a whole. While recognizing its historical heritage, the University serves a diverse student population with a broad range of programs in instruction, service, and research, so that its graduates will become competent, productive, and contributing citizens. Vision Statement As one of America s most highly respected Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Delaware State University will be renowned for a standard of academic excellence that prepares our graduates to become the first choice of employers in a global market and invigorates the economy and the culture of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Core Values Community Integrity Diversity Scholarship Outreach Philosophy Delaware State University, a progressive, 1890 land-grant, comprehensive, public-assisted institution, is committed foremost to academic excellence and intellectual competence. Freedom of expression, and inquiry, exchange of ideas, cultural activities, intensive classroom instruction and numerous informal events of the University community combine to ensure that each student receives a thorough and marketable education. The University recognizes that education is attained, in part, through the activities of the students themselves. It strives to provide and maintain a corps of scholars, lecturers and educators dedicated to the enlightenment of mankind. 11

To this end, the University endeavors to: Provide a well-rounded liberal arts education with a concentration in either the sciences, the humanities or the professions; Provide service to the citizens of the state by increasing their ability to make practical application of knowledge; Develop conceptual thinking ability and nature the inquiring mind of each student. Develop student skills in oral and written communication; Encourage optimum physical development and the safeguarding of health; and Encourage students to serve their home, the community, the nation and the world. 2. College of Education, Health and Public Policy Mission The mission of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy (CHEPP) is to offer meaningful, relevant and service-oriented educational opportunities for diverse populations in the respective departments of the school. The educational programs of the school are guided by the standards and ethics of the various professional organizations and accrediting agencies. The CEHPP, through its various departments, fosters and supports scholarly research endeavors among its faculty and students and the dissemination of knowledge that ultimately improves the lives of the citizens of the State of Delaware, the nation and the world. The school is dedicated to developing and mentoring informed professionals, who are empowered to lead and manage change while shaping society s future. The College of Education, Health and Public Policy prepares students for positions in the professions and for graduate study. 3. Department of Nursing Mission Mission The faculty of the Department of Nursing subscribes to the philosophies and missions of Delaware State University and the College of Education, Health and Public Policy to seek to serve through the delivery of high quality education to a diverse student population and the dissemination of knowledge that improves the quality of lives of the citizens of the State of Delaware, the nation and the world. The mission of the Department of Nursing is to provide meaningful, relevant and timely education in the liberal arts and the art and science of nursing. The department also strives to provide professional aspects of higher education for students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The nursing program provides theoretical and clinical learning opportunities that prepare professional nurses to provide health care to individuals, families and communities that prevent disease, and promote, maintain and restore the highest quality of life achievable. 12

B. Philosophy Department of Nursing We, the faculty of the Department of Nursing being an integral part of Delaware State University, subscribe to its philosophy and share in its mission to provide meaningful and relevant education that emphasizes the liberal, occupational and professional aspects of higher education for a diverse student population. We believe that clients are complex bio-psycho-social and spiritual beings who are constantly interacting with a changing environment. Adaptation is vital to the fulfillment of basic human needs common to all persons. We further believe that an individual possesses self-determination, is self-directed, and strives towards self-actualization. Self-actualization may be achieved when physiologic, belonging and love, and esteem needs are met. An individual exists as a part of the larger society, a network of interacting individuals, families, groups and communities. Their various cultures, mores and values give meaning to their interactions, which are facilitated principally through the process of communication. We believe that health is a dynamic process wherein clients constantly adapt to changing internal and external environments in order to maintain a state of physical, emotional, psychological, sociological and spiritual well being. Clients are considered healthy when they are able to meet basic needs and maintain dynamic equilibrium. Illness, however, is an adaptive response that results in a failure to meet basic client needs or an inability to maintain dynamic equilibrium. Adaptive responses occur on a continuum ranging from high level wellness to illness. The goal of nursing is to assist clients to satisfy needs and to progress to high-level wellness by promoting adaptation. The practice of professional nursing involves a systematic process of assessing levels of adaptation, planning, implementing and evaluating client responses to nursing actions. Professional nursing practice further involves the use of various helping behaviors to manipulate the environment in order to promote, maintain and/or restore health. These behaviors include guiding, supporting, teaching, acting for or doing for clients and providing an environment which promotes personal development. Recognizing the tremendous increase in knowledge in all areas, we believe that nursing shares with other professional health disciplines the broad responsibility of providing for the health needs of society. The uniqueness of professional nursing is the ability of practitioners to provide direct, personal service to individuals, families, and groups in assisting them to attain and maintain their highest level of independent functioning. We believe that baccalaureate nursing education, a prerequisite for the practice of professional nursing, is based upon a body of knowledge that utilizes concepts from nursing research and practice, bio-psycho-social sciences and the humanities. A judicious arrangement of learning experiences gives the student an opportunity to develop the ability to think critically, act responsibly and communicate effectively. These experiences also equip the student to understand self and others, to become more aware of forces that influence people and how the forces can be modified to improve society. These attributes will enable the nurse to assume an increasingly independent and expanded role and to act as an agent of change on behalf of clients. 13

We believe that a democratic environment where students think critically and act independently facilitates the teaching-learning process. The faculty recognizes that some students, because of previous social and economic problems, have been unable to reach their potential as it is measured by traditional means. Such students when provided with the necessary academic and social supports can pursue and succeed in a baccalaureate nursing education curriculum. The faculty provides for these differences by planning varied learning experiences, and by encouraging independent study and self-evaluation. Through these efforts, the faculty endeavors to prepare at the baccalaureate level, a professional nurse who can participate in the democratic process as a responsible citizen, render direct nursing care, assume leadership responsibility on the health care team, and continue professional and personal development. C. Purposes and Goals of the Nursing Program Purposes of the Nursing Program are to: 1. Provide educational opportunities to a diverse population of students; 2. Offer educational opportunities for students of diverse cultural backgrounds who demonstrate ability and potential for success in nursing studies, such as through SAT scores only; 3. Prepare knowledgeable, entry-level practitioners for meeting present and future health care needs; 4. Develop an educational base for graduate study in nursing; 5. Foster professionalism and scholarly activity for nursing students and faculty. Nursing Program Outcomes Specific program outcomes are to prepare a baccalaureate degree nursing graduate who: 1. Analyzes concepts from the biopsychosocial sciences and the humanities to provide a foundation for nursing practice; 2. Manages safe and therapeutic client care in structured and unstructured settings to promote adaptation of culturally diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities as clients across the life span; 3. Integrates critical thinking in the decision-making process to meet the health care needs of clients; 4. Collaborates with culturally diverse clients and with members of the multidisciplinary health team in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health in a variety of settings; 5. Incorporates research findings to implement evidence-based nursing practice in the care of clients; 6. Practices within a framework of professional nursing values and legal/ethical concepts as a member of the collaborative care team; 7. Demonstrates ongoing personal and professional development. 14

E. Department of Nursing Organizational Chart Chairperson Program Directors Faculty Department Secretary Budget Analyst Undergraduate Program Director Graduate Program Director Undergraduate Students Graduate Students 15

SECTION III CURRICULUM 16

A. Organizing Framework of Visual Scheme DEPARTMENT OF NURSING ORGANIZATING ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORK HEALTH Wellness------------------Illness Adaptation/Maladaptation CLIENT HUMAN NEEDS Physiologic Safety and Security Love and Belonging Self-Esteem Self-Actualization CLIENTS HUMANS ENVIRONMENT Internal and External Individuals Families Communities Groups Holism NURSING ROLES Caregiver Leader Researcher Critical-Thinker Problem Solver Communicator Change-Agent Teacher Counselor Advocate Professional Self- Development NURSING Biological Psychological Sociological Spiritual (Growth and Development) NURSING PROCESS Assessment Analysis/Diagnosis Planning Implementation Health Promotion & Illness Prevention Health Maintenance Health Restoration Evaluation Faculty approval: May 26, 2005 Faculty Approval: May 26, 2005 SGM [SGM] May 12, 2008 May 18, 2011 July 20, 2011 17

B. Organizing Framework Narrative Introduction The organizing framework, the keystone of the curriculum, emanates from the University and Department philosophies and provides guidelines for the selection and organization of learning experiences for the nursing curriculum. It promotes the understanding of individuals adapting to a changing environment. The organizing framework used in the Department of Nursing at Delaware State University is eclectic and is based upon the interrelationship of four major concepts: Clients, Environment, Health and Nursing (see figure above). The major concepts are comprised of sub-concepts as follows: 1) Clients: basic needs, biopsycho-social, cultural and spiritual dimensions; 2) Environment: culture, social roles, family, community, society and physical surroundings; 3) Health: adaptation, health-illness continuum through health promotion, maintenance and restoration activities; and 4) Nursing: communication, role socialization, critical thinking, nursing process, nursing leadership and nursing research. These major concepts appear in the curriculum as vertical strands and are organized according to increasing levels of complexity. In addition, the nursing process is interwoven as the horizontal strand. Theoretical formulations that provide the basis for resolving problems are derived from the following theories: adaptation, stress, human need, change, holistic, growth and development, and systems. Concepts Client: The client is viewed as a holistic being possessing biological, psychological, sociological and spiritual components. A client possesses self-determination, is self-directed, and has certain basic needs that are classified in a hierarchy according to their importance for survival and growth (Maslow, 1954). Needs are requirements which motivate responses to maintain biologic, psychologic, sociologic and spiritual integrity. Basic Human Needs hierarchy includes these needs: physiologic, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The physiological needs have the highest priority until they are satisfied or are not threatened, then the need for safety takes priority. This process of differential need fulfillment follows through to selfactualization that has priority only when the other areas in the need hierarchy have been satisfied. Clients include individuals, families, communities and groups. Environment: The environment is the internal structure and external influences including family members, the community and society, as well as the client s physical surroundings that interact to influence adaptation. Culture and values provide the means by which individuals, families, groups and communities interact with each other. Society functions to ensure that the needs of its members are met and to provide opportunities for them to develop their own social roles, identities and values. Health: Health is a dynamic process wherein a human being constantly adapts to changing internal and external environments in order to maintain a state of physical, psychological, sociological and spiritual well being. Health and illness, dimensions of life, occur on a continuum. 18

Nursing: Nursing is a process of promoting adaptation by assisting clients to attain need satisfaction. The goal of nursing is to promote human adaptation within each of the hierarchy of needs. Effective communication is essential for the establishment of a nurse-client relationship. Through this relationship, nurses can help clients become aware of their needs and establish healthy ways of meeting the needs. The nurse assists clients to adapt using the nursing process, the components of which are assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating. Role socialization is a process of attitude development by which students of nursing become responsible, accountable and contributing members of the nursing profession. Nursing leadership prepares the student to guide and direct others in administering safe and effective nursing care. Nursing research is a systematic investigation of nursing practice and the effect of this practice on individual, family, group and community health. Understanding the steps of the research process enables students to critically analyze research studies and evaluate the applicability of the findings in clinical practice. Interrelatedness of Concepts A client possesses categories of needs, but responds as a bio-psycho-social unit to changes in the environment. These responses can be assessed and analyzed within each of a client s hierarchy of needs. A client s ability to adapt is dependent upon the ability to cope with environmental changes. A response that meets basic needs and maintains integrity is an adaptive response and results in wellness or health. Adaptive responses that are inadequate to meet basic needs result in illness and mal-adaptation. The goal of nursing is to promote a client s adaptation within each hierarchy of needs. If a client is adapting successfully, the nursing goal is to maintain that response through activities of health promotion and illness prevention. If the client is experiencing adaptation problems, the goal of nursing is to promote adaptation by facilitating action that maintain and restore health. Nurses intervene to maintain or achieve adaptation by the use of such behaviors as caring, guiding, supporting, counseling, teaching and promoting self-development. Health teaching, guidance and counseling are nursing activities that assist individuals, families, communities and groups to adapt to change. Although the client is considered a focal point of nursing activity, families, groups and communities provide the setting within which the nurse functions to promote health and strengthen adaptation and coping mechanisms. A client s potential for adaptation and coping may be enhanced by the provision of adequate external supports. Families, communities and groups are also recipients of nursing care. The nursing process is a systematic problem-solving method. In utilizing this process, the nurse gathers and analyzes data, makes a nursing diagnosis, selects an appropriate approach to solve the problem, identifies goals, implements the plan of care and evaluates the results. The nurse utilizes Maslow s hierarchy of needs to determine the client s status by making a systematic assessment within each level of the hierarchy of needs. Following the assessment, data is analyzed which assist in formulating nursing diagnoses. Client-centered goals are identified to reinforce adaptation to the hierarchy of needs. The nurse then implements a plan of care that assists the client with unmet needs. The nurse evaluates the effectiveness of the entire process by judging whether the defined 19

goals were attained. Inherent in the evaluation process is the reassessment and modification of the plan. The professional nurse strives to provide culturally sensitive and competent care. Professional nursing practice is based on scientific knowledge obtained from nursing research and research in other sciences. The nurse draws from a broad knowledge base of nursing science, biopsycho-social sciences, the humanities, nursing history and nursing practice to develop the critical thinking skills needed to solve client-related problems. An understanding of the scientific method is necessary to develop beginning skills as a consumer of research. The nurse utilizes the communication process in all components of the nursing process with individuals, families, communities and groups. Successful communication is dependent on the use of therapeutic skills, self-awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness to others. The learner is socialized into the nursing role through a process of change. Knowledge of theories of change is necessary in order for the nurse to utilize planned change in solving problems. Nurses effect change by acting as a change agent to facilitate adaptation. Knowledge of leadership strategies facilitate the assumption of the nursing role and enhance the change agent role. Nurses also utilize the teaching/learning process to effect change with individuals, families, communities and groups. Learning is a change in behavior that is acquired because of practice and can be repeated when necessary. Change in behavior and the effects of learning can be observed and evaluated. Knowledge of teaching/learning principles and the process of learning are integral to the nursing process and the assumption of the nursing role. C. Glossary of Terms Based on the DSU Department of Nursing Organizing Framework Adaptation: the process of clients responding to changes in internal and external environments to maintain or achieve health and wellness. Caregiver: role of the nurse that includes health promotion, maintenance and restoration across the life span. Change: a process that leads to modification in behavior, patterns or outcomes in response to a stimulus. Client: the unit with whom the nurse intervenes to promote adaptation. Clients include individuals, families, communities and groups. Community: any group of clients living in the same area or having work or other interest in common. Concept: an idea, mental image of reality or phenomena. 20