JusticeBook12182 RN-Student-Handbook

Introduction Welcome to the WEST COAST UNIVERSITY College of Nursing. This student handbook is a supplement to the WEST COAST UNIVERSITY Catalog and WCU Student Handbook. The purpose of the handbook is to provide information specifically related to the nursing programs. As new policies relating to nursing student activities are formulated, they will be added to the handbook. It is important that you keep both this handbook and the university catalog and WCU Student Handbook as references throughout the program. The current edition of this handbook is available at in the Student section. College of Nursing Mission Statement The mission of the College of Nursing is to provide evidence-based and innovative nursing education to culturally diverse learners; preparing nurses to provide quality and compassionate care as members of the interdisciplinary health team, responsive to the needs of the community and the global society. College of Nursing Philosophy The philosophy of the College of Nursing is that education is a continuous process occurring in phases throughout an individual’s lifetime. Nurses are lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Nursing Faculty Beliefs Health Health is regarded as a state of equilibrium on a wellness to illness continuum. Individual health practices impact the value and meaning of health as determined by culture and society. Wellness is identified as successful management of multiple stresses from internal and external environments. Illness results when the bio-psycho-social system is disrupted. The patient’s/client’s ability to cope with illness is influenced by how successfully he/she is able to adapt within the healthcare environment. The perception of wellness to illness is a highly individualized process, which is influenced by the client’s health beliefs and health behaviors. An individual’s perceptions of and beliefs about health/illness impact this wellness/illness continuum. Each individual functions in a multitude of dimensions within his/her environment. Nursing Nursing is the art and science of caring. It is a science, an interpersonal process, and a human service, based on knowledge derived from nursing theory and from the biological, behavioral, physical and social sciences. The goal of this nursing process is the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health for clients, their families, and society as a whole. Nursing is committed to maintaining human dignity. The nurse's expertise is in the diagnosis and treatment of human response to health problems and to the evaluation of health outcomes. This is achieved by using the nursing process to provide and manage care. Nursing has been transformed by societal needs. Nursing has assumed responsibility for meeting the health needs of individuals, families, and communities. Nursing’s goal is to optimize the functions of the individual, family, and West Coast University, College of Nursing RN Student Handbook Rev. 12-2017 Page | 7 community within the context of a particular environment. Nursing has also expanded globally and is concerned with issues that affect these expanded societies. The profession’s concerns are to understand the person, his/her environment, and how these two interact to influence, the former’s functioning. Person A person/patient is a bio-psycho-social, spiritual, intellectual and cultural person who functions within a particular environment. These functions are considered health patterns that may remain functional in the presence of wellness and become dysfunctional in the presence of illness. Environment The environment is the life-space within which individuals live and function. These life-spaces are composed of external and internal factors that influence the person and his/her ability to function. The environment is dynamic. All people share functional patterns that affect their health, quality of life, and achievement of their maximum potential.