Philosophy
The ultimate goal of the Hood College Department of Nursing is to improve health care in Frederick, Maryland, and beyond. To accomplish this goal, the faculty embraces continued education and professional development of nurses. Consistent with this belief and the mission of Hood College, the Nursing Program offers undergraduate nursing education for registered nurses pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Nursing is a practice discipline requiring advanced knowledge and skill. Nursing knowledge is built on practice, research and theory. Nursing is distinctive among other practice disciplines in its focus on the individual within a holistic framework. It is concerned with human experiences and responses to birth, health, illness, and death within the context of individuals, families, groups, and communities.
Nurses, often in collaboration with other health care professionals, meet diverse needs of clients by promoting optimal health care in a variety of roles and settings. As providers and coordinators of health care, nurses incorporate best practices and technologies designed to optimize health care delivery. As a member of the profession, the nurse implements care based on professional standards and seeks to influence the health care system through policy development and professional organizations.
The faculty of the Hood College Nursing Program believes that baccalaureate nursing education prepares the students for professional nursing roles and is a dynamic process that promotes the synthesis of information from liberal arts and nursing science. This process builds upon the students’ existing foundation of knowledge and experiences addressing the unique learning needs of adult students.
The faculty believes that education is based on humanistic approaches that foster critical thinking and promote awareness of social and cultural diversity among individuals. Faculty members serve as facilitators of learning, helping students expand their knowledge and competencies, as well as further develop professional roles and values. The faculty believes advanced nursing education contributes to improvement in health care.
Objectives:
- Prepare professional nurses to provide health care and education to individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations using concepts of health promotion and disease prevention
- Enhance leadership skills for professional nurses through
- Participation as a collaborative member of the health care team and coordinator of care
- Evaluation of information technologies and communication strategies to engage partnerships among clients, colleagues, and the health care team
- Cultivate professional development by promoting student engagement in:
- Social, political and professional activities
- Life-long learning for informed nursing practice
- An ethical value system for reflective nursing practice
- Foster the use of knowledge and research to improved health outcomes using clinical decision-making, evidenced-based practice, and evaluative nursing practice
Student Outcomes:
- Advance concepts of health promotion and disease prevention through the provision of health care and education
- Utilize leadership skills
- Participate as a collaborative member of the health care team and coordinator of care
- Implement information technologies and communication strategies to promote collaboration among clients, colleagues, and the health care team.
- Cultivate professional development by engaging in:
- Social, political and professional activities
- Life-long learning for informed nursing practice
- An ethical value system for reflective nursing practice
- Use of knowledge and research to improve health