Practical Nursing

Program Overview

The purpose of this program is to help the student to develop the nursing skills and human understanding needed to secure entry-level employment to care for both chronically and acutely ill patients in a variety of settings. The program combines classroom study with clinical experience in a variety of settings. Upon completion of this program, the graduate will be able to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination–Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN).

Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing this examination are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take this exam, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

Program Mission

Concorde Career College Practical Nursing Program ensures the healthcare community of competent graduates who are capable and productive entry-level practitioners. These individuals espouse professionalism, and adhere to established standards of care and ethical practice.

Program Philosophy

The Practical Nursing program is founded on beliefs that are consistent with the parent organization and the community at large. The faculty of the Practical Nursing program holds the following beliefs about the individual, nursing, health, and nursing education.

Practical Nursing

The scope of nursing is practiced at various levels of complexity. Practical Nursing represents one such level and is characterized by specific knowledge, technical skills, and complexity derived from the entire domain of nursing. Practical Nursing is practiced in a variety of healthcare settings in collaboration with the registered nurse and/or other healthcare providers.

Individual

Each individual has value, worth, dignity, and right. Each individual is unique, and his or her uniqueness is manifested in a highly complex, ever-changing system of biological, sociological, psychological, cultural, and spiritual factors. Because of the interrelationship of these factors, it is imperative that each of these components be taken into consideration in order to address the wholeness of the individual. Each individual, to the extent that he or she is capable of making free choices, should be given the right to make free, informed choices, with the understanding that he or she is at the same time accountable for those decisions. Individuals seek healthcare in a variety of settings.

Nursing

Nursing is the art of caring and is concerned with assisting individuals, families, and other groups in coping with and responding to actual or potential health problems. Nursing is best carried out in an organized, systematic manner in order to enhance the quality of human life that each individual is capable of attaining.

Health

Health is the status or position of an individual on the wellness-illness continuum. The health status is a dynamic state and is based upon the interrelationship of biological, sociological, psychological, cultural, and spiritual factors of the individual.

Nursing Education

Nursing education occurs both in the classroom and in clinical settings. Nursing education involves the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills based upon the acquisition of knowledge, psychomotor skills, and values. Practical Nursing education focuses on providing safe, competent nursing service to individuals of all age groups who are experiencing commonly occurring compromises in their health status with predictable outcomes. Practical Nursing education is based upon scientific principles and provides a foundation of competencies upon which the Practical Nurse may build in the future.

Education is an active process of both teaching and learning. Learning occurs best when the individual perceives a need or desire to learn. Learning is evidenced by a change in behavior. Learning is facilitated through a positive and supportive environment throughout the entire educational process. Teaching is both an art and a science. The purpose of teaching is to facilitate learning in a logical manner with optimal utility and relevance for the learner.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

Concorde Practical Nursing graduates will:

1. Provide safe, caring and compassionate nursing care to diverse patients across the lifespan in various healthcare settings using evidenced based practice to improve outcomes.
2. Function as a competent, entry-level healthcare provider applying leadership and management skills and embracing ethical and legal principles in the provision of culturally appropriate nursing care.
3. Collaborate with members of the inter-professional healthcare team to provide optimal care for diverse patients and their families.
4. Communicate effectively through verbal, nonverbal and technological methods with patients, families and members of the inter-professional healthcare team.