Philosophy Conceptual Framework Program Objectives Admission to the Fall ADN Program Promotion Readmission to the ADN Program

Transfer to the TC ADN Program from Another Nursing Program Prioritization Listing for Readmission and Transfers Requirements for Associate of Applied Science Degree Beginning with the Fall 2014 class Degree Requirements

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The Associate Degree Nursing program leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree and allows the graduate to apply to take the state licensing exams for registered nursing and the jurisprudence exam.  The ADN Program is fully approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, www.bon.state.tx.us and is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, (ACEN.) 404-975-5000, 3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Temple College Associate Degree Nursing program reflects the beliefs of the faculty and provides the foundation for the nursing program. The ADN philosophy is congruent with the institution’s mission statement by providing quality education to prepare ADN graduates capable of meeting licensure by examination requirements and providing entry-level employment as a registered nurse to the diverse community served by Temple College.  

The faculty recognizes the holistic nature of the individual with biological (physical being), psychological (mind), and social (relationship with others) dimensions. These dimensions are interrelated to create the whole; when one dimension changes, other dimensions may be affected. The individual is understood to be a dynamic being with varying capacity to meet their needs. Each individual has the right to be actively involved in a plan to meet their needs. When active involvement is not possible, the individual is entitled to assistance in a caring manner.

Nursing is a profession in which caring behaviors are provided in response to actual or potential unmet health needs. Caring behaviors are those practices that demonstrate the nurse’s altruistic concern for the welfare of the patient. The nurse provides caring behaviors by performing in the roles of provider of care, patient safety advocate, member of the healthcare team, and profession member. These roles may be performed in a variety of settings.  These roles integrate both scientific and humanistic experiences through critical thinking processes. In the patient care setting, clinical reasoning is implemented using the five steps of the nursing process, assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The nurse is accountable for performance in these roles not only to one’s self and the profession, but also to a local, national, and global society.

Nursing education consists of experiences, both didactic and practicum, that develop the individual’s potential to provide quality care.  The foundation for these experiences is derived from scientific and humanistic concepts and principles.  The faculty facilitates learning opportunities that provide the student exposure to knowledge, skills, technology, and values necessary for professional nursing practice.  Traditional and innovative learning opportunities draw from and build on each other to provide progression in the development of nursing roles.  Course work specific to nursing and the general education curriculum, as outlined by the College, comprises the formal education plan for the associate degree nursing student.

Learning is viewed as a continuing process involving cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Learning in the nursing program is dependent on faculty-student interaction. The faculty has the responsibility for guiding the learner to experiences that will assist them in meeting the objectives of the nursing program. The student has the responsibility for acquiring the knowledge, values and skills necessary to meet the objectives of the nursing program. Both participants have the responsibility for creating and participating in a learning climate that fosters the maximum development of each student’s potential. This focus recognizes that learning beyond the formal educational setting is essential and does not stop upon completion of the formal learning plan.

The nursing curriculum incorporates the following concepts: the individual is a holistic, dynamic being with varying capacity to meet their needs; nursing interacts with the individual in response to unmet needs by utilizing critical thinking processes to provide caring behaviors; the nurse performs in the roles of provider of care, patient safety advocate, member of the healthcare team and profession member. Inherent within these concepts is the importance of communication in a variety of forms.

Revised 10/16/13

  

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of Temple College’s Associate Degree Nursing program reflects the philosophy’s major concepts: the individual is a holistic being with varying capacity to meet their needs; nursing interacts with the individual in response to unmet needs by utilizing the nursing process to provide caring behaviors; the nurse performs in the roles of provider of care, patient safety advocate, member of the healthcare team, and profession member.  Inherent within these concepts is the importance of communication in a variety of forms.

Holistic Individual	Each person is a unique integration of biological, psychological and social dimensions; the unified whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Biological Dimension	The portion of the individual that is represented by the physical being: the body.
Psychological Dimension	The portion of the individual that is represented by the mind; the capacity for thinking, emotions, and spirituality.
Social Dimension	The portion of the individual that is represented by the individual’s relationship with others. These relationships exist in a diverse environment. Contributing to this diversity are characteristics such as (but not limited to) culture, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status.
Need	That which is necessary, useful or desirable to maintain life. For one who is in a terminally ill state of life and/or involved in the dying process, the quality of life may become the focus.
Caring Behaviors	Those practices that demonstrate the nurse’s altruistic concern for the welfare of the patient. Caring behaviors are integrated from scientific and humanistic experiences through the use of critical thinking processes in the performance of nursing roles.
Patient/Client	An individual, family, or group who interacts with the nurse in response to actual or potential unmet needs; the recipient of care.
Critical Thinking Processes	Problem identification and problem solving processes which incorporate communication, evidence, experience, observations, reflection, and reasoning to integrate scientific and humanistic considerations in deciding on conclusions and guiding behavior.
Clinical Reasoning	A form of critical thinking focused on providing patient-centered care.  The nursing process, a form of clinical reasoning, is used to provide patient care.
Nursing Process	A method of thinking critically that consists of a series of planned steps and actions to integrate scientific with humanistic experiences.  The nursing process has five steps:  assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation.
Provider of Care	The Associate Degree Nurse functions as a provider of care by applying the steps of the nursing process to formulate and deliver patient-centered nursing care.
Patient Safety Advocate	The Associate Degree Nurse promotes and provides a safe environment for patient, self, and others.
Member of the Healthcare Team	The Associate Degree Nurse collaborates with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary healthcare team to provide, organize, and facilitate quality care.
Profession Member	The Associate Degree Nurse is committed to professional growth, continuous learning, self-development, practicing within the ethical and legal framework of nursing.  The nurse is also accountable for ensuring high standards of nursing practice to include the utilization of evidence based nursing.

 Student Learning Outcomes

1. Utilize critical thinking processes as a basis for professional practice.   
2. Provide and advocate for the safety of self and others.   
3. Act as an advocate in providing quality holistic, patient-centered care to a diverse population.
4. Collaborate with the patient and interdisciplinary healthcare team to facilitate quality patient-centered care.
5. Communicate effectively in performance of professional roles.
6. Practice nursing within a legal-ethical framework consistent with nursing practice standards.

Admission to the 2-year ADN Program

Note: Curriculum changes may occur. Students must check online sources of information for updates.

Students desiring admission to the ADN program must:

l.          Complete the Temple College (TC) admission process.  All college requirements must be met including TSI requirements. 

2.         Enroll in the prerequisite courses.  These courses are BIOL 2401  Anatomy & Physiology I, ENGL 1301  Composition I, and PSYC 2301  General Psychology. The three prerequisite courses must be completed or in progress during the Spring semester to be able to apply for the Fall semester class. Corequisite courses may be taken prior to acceptance into the nursing program.

3.         Take the Admission Test.  The test will be given at the TC Testing Center in a specific time period.  The three prerequisite courses must be completed or in progress. To sign up for the Nursing Admission Test, you must:    

            A.  Pay the test fee in the Cashier’s office, One College Centre.  Only cash, credit cards, or money orders will be accepted for payment. 

            B.   Take the receipt to the Testing Center, Student Success Centre when you are ready to take the test.  Their phone number is 254-298-8586; verify testing times prior to arriving.

            A study guide can be purchased in the Temple College Bookstore, Arnold Student Center.  Tutoring for the Admission test is available at the Educational Assistance Center 254-298-8620.  At TC, you may only take the test once per admission process.

4.         Complete the ADN application process by the deadline.  The application and specific instructions for applying are found on the ADN Web page. 

            The application process includes furnishing official transcripts for all colleges attended.  You must have a minimum of a “C” in every course. 

            A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 (in all courses that apply toward the nursing curriculum) is required for application to the ADN program.  Biology courses must have been taken within the past ten years. 

            Applications will not be processed if any of the stated admission requirements are missing or incomplete. 

5.         Applicants will be notified by email of whether or not they are conditionally accepted into the program.  If conditionally accepted into the program, the following must be completed: 

•     An acknowledgment that you are able to meet the Core Performance Standards for  Nursing will be required.  These standards are available on the nursing website.
•     A satisfactory drug screen is required (specific instructions will be given).
•     Required immunizations: 2 injections Measles, 1 injection Mumps, 1 injection Rubella, 2 injections Varicella, 3 injections Hepatitis B, OR positive titers for any of the preceding immunizations.  Also required are Tetanus (valid for 10 years) documentation of current negative TB skin test or chest x-ray (valid for 1 year), flu vaccine is required annually when it becomes available.   

A satisfactory background check (specific instructions will be given).  The Texas Board of Nursing will conduct a background check.  The student must be cleared before being allowed to register for and attend nursing courses.  Any healthcare facility associated with Temple College may also require background checks.  Permission to perform the background check must be given by the student. Failure to give permission will result in dismissal from the program.  It may be necessary to dismiss students from a program if they are barred from practicing at any healthcare facility.  The ADN student/graduate is held to the registered nurse standards set by the Texas Board of Nursing.  

Written documentation of successful completion of an American Heart Association CPR course designed for health care providers (e.g., Basic Cardiac Life Support for Health Care Providers).  No student will be permitted in the clinical setting without current documentation on file (must remain current throughout the ADN program).  All courses must include a hands-on skills portion.  

Students seeking admission to the ADN program are admitted on the basis of the following criteria, with maximum point totals awarded as indicated:

Points*	GPA	HESI A2	# of Co-Reqs Completed	Service Area Resident
1	2.8-3.0	85-88	1	Yes
2	3.01-3.26	89-92	2
3	3.27-3.52	93-96	3
4	3.53-3.78	97-100
5	3.79-4.0

*Any one nursing course failure within the last 10 years in an RN or VN program will result in a deduction of an admission point.  If there is a nursing course failure in any program during the three years prior to admission, the applicant will receive one admission only to the Temple College ADN Program.  The applicant is ineligible for admission/readmission if there are two or more nursing course failures in any program during the three years prior to admission.

 Admission to the nursing program is determined during the late spring for the fall semester.  In the case of competitive admissions, requirements over and above the minimum will be necessary.

Admission to Temple College does not constitute automatic acceptance into the nursing program.  In the event the application is rejected, the applicant may request a review by the ADN Director or designee.

Promotion

Once a student is accepted into and begins the ADN program curriculum, it is expected that the student will continue to progress directly to the next semester’s courses. In order to do this, the student must:

1. Have completed all previously required courses with a “C” grade (2.0 based on a 4.0 scale) or better;
2. Be concurrently enrolled in required non-nursing courses scheduled for that semester, or have previously passed these courses with a minimum grade of “C” (2.0);
3. Maintain good academic standing (See the College Catalog, Academic Standards, Scholastic Probation, & Scholastic Suspension policies):
4. Meet all general Temple College requirements (be approved for registration).

Failure in any required nursing course indicates possibility of failure on the board exam. Therefore, no more than one nursing course may be repeated during the program, due to failure, and that course may be repeated only once. In all nursing courses, the following grading scale will be used.

Numerical Value	Letter Grade	Points
90-100	A	4.0
80-89.99	B	3.0
78-79.99	C	2.0
77.99 & below	F	0

Grades are not rounded in the program.  In all courses, both nursing and non-nursing that count toward graduation, the minimum passing grade is a “C” or 2.0 on the 4.0 scale. Further grading criteria can be found in each course outline.

Readmission to the ADN Program

Students may apply for readmission to the ADN program following their withdrawal or dismissal by writing a request for readmission letter to the ADN Department office. Students seeking readmission who have successfully completed any nursing courses more than three years prior to readmission will be required to re-enroll in the nursing courses. All policies specified by Temple College for readmitting students will apply (see the College Catalog section on readmission under the Application for Admission policy.)  Requests for readmission are determined by the priority criteria as listed below. Applicants being considered for readmission will be considered on a space available basis by the ADN Director, or designee.

The ADN Director, or designee, will review the applicant’s record and make recommendations as to placement in the program.

A student who failed or withdrew from the ADN Program for any reason will be required to discuss the problems that led to dismissal; and actions that have been taken that would enable him/her to reasonably expect success in completing the program, passing the licensing exams, and contributing to the profession of nursing. After a second nursing program failure or withdrawal, a student is not eligible for readmission. Students who were dismissed from the nursing program for unsafe practice or unprofessional conduct are not eligible for re-admission.

Transfer to the TC ADN Program from Another Nursing Program

Transfer applicants who have been successful in an accredited traditional RN level nursing school will be considered for admission on a space available basis using the Prioritization Listing below.  LVN-Bridging courses are not eligible for transfer.  Transfer students who have more than one nursing course failure within three years of transfer will not be considered for transfer.  Transfer students must meet all ADN Department requirements for admission. Students seeking transfer who have successfully completed any nursing courses more than three years prior to admission to the Temple College ADN program will be required to re-enroll in the nursing courses.  All policies specified by Temple College for accepting transfer students will apply (see the College Catalog).

Required non-nursing courses will be evaluated for transferability by the Director of Admissions and Records.  The student must have all official transcripts sent directly to the Admissions and Records office.  In addition, if a course description is necessary, the student will be responsible for providing a copy of the appropriate course description prior to the final determination.  An official copy of all transcripts should also be sent to the ADN Department office. Some learning activities may be required to review and validate the student’s knowledge and skills.

Upon final determination of the transferability of any courses, the ADN Director will approve the curriculum plan to be followed by the transfer student. Any student transferring into the nursing program from another nursing program will enter Temple College ADN program with only one attempt to complete the program.

Prioritization Listing for Readmission and Transfers

Request for readmission or transfer students will be prioritized as follows:

1. First priority: Former Temple College students with a passing grade in previous nursing courses.
2. Second priority: Transfer students with passing grades in previous nursing courses.
3. Third priority: Former Temple College students with one previous nursing course failure.
4. Fourth priority: Transfer students with one previous nursing course failure.

Within each priority group, preference is given based on nursing GPA.

Requirements for Associate of Applied Science Degree Nursing

In order to graduate from Temple College and receive the Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing, the student must meet all Temple College requirements and the following specific requirements:

1. Three semester hours of English: ENGL 1301  
2. Six semester hours in behavioral sciences: PSYC 2301  and PSYC 2314 .
3. Three semester hours to be selected from the Temple College approved core curriculum disciplines of Language, Philosophy, Culture, or Creative Arts. 
4. Eight semester hours of anatomy and physiology within the last 10 years: BIOL 2401  and BIOL 2402 . 
5. For the basic level entry student: 60 semester hours of course credit, exclusive of developmental courses.  Included in the 60 semester hours of course work must be all of the required RNSG nursing courses, or their equivalent, for a total of 40 hours of credit. 
   For the LVN Bridging student: 60 semester hours of course credit, exclusive of developmental courses.  Included in the 60 semester hours of course work must be all of the RNSG nursing courses required in the LVN Bridging curriculum, or their equivalent, for a total of 28 hours of credit.  For both programs, all prescribed courses must be completed with a minimum of a C grade. 

   For any variation from these prescribed requirements to be counted toward graduation, a written statement to this effect, signed by the ADN Director, and the Vice President of Educational Services must be on file in the student’s record. 

6. Completion of at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree at Temple College. Meet all other requirements for graduation as specified by Temple College.

7. Complete the Application for Graduation by deadline date.

8. Resolve all holds on the student’s record.

Degree Requirements