program philosophy
In keeping with the Mission, Philosophy, and Partnership Statement of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, we, the faculty of the Vocational Nursing program, believe that:
Clients are persons who are recipients of health care and can be referred to as patients, consumers, and/or residents.
Clients are integrated biological, psychological, sociological, cultural and spiritual beings. Each client has essential human needs that are affected by the internal and external environment.
The fulfillment of needs of clients can be threatened by alterations in homeostasis. (Key factors that influence client's homeostasis with varying degrees include culture, health and environment.) Culture encompasses all ideas, beliefs, values, attitudes, history, language and other symbols that a group of people possess. From a cultural prospective wellness, disease and illness, are processes in which each individual defines their ability to achieve and maintain holistic health by adapting to his/her environment. Cultural heritage helps to define the individual client and impacts the delivery of health care to that individual. We foster an appreciation of the unique heritage of the Rio Grande Valley by integrating the concepts of culture into our program.
Health is a dynamic continuum of wellness to illness throughout the life span. Clients are encouraged to function at their optimal potential at any given point in the health continuum to maintain balance. The client's perception of health influences their perception and degree of participation in the effort to restore health status. The well being of clients and their families is fostered through their caring relationships and interaction with their environment.
Environment is considered to be all factors that interact with the individual on an external and internal basis which influence each client's quality of life. The external factors include the physical entities such as climate, geography, housing, sanitation and air quality, as well as, those structures that are associated with the socialization of a person which include family and culture. Internal influences are the predisposing factors occurring within the mind, body and spirit of an individual.
Nursing Practice is an evolutionary process occurring in a variety of settings. This practice integrates patient care into a multi-disciplinary team approach. The caring practitioner is accountable for providing safe, competent and compassionate care utilizing new advances to complement existing nursing practice.
Nursing Education provides structured learning opportunities that endeavor to prepare competent graduates for three roles: provider of care, coordinator of care, and member of a profession. The focus is the client, the community and the promotion of health. The environment in which this learning takes place should be representative of the settings wherein vocational nursing is employed. The educational environment should be non-threatening and nurturing to encourage learning, decision-making and critical thinking skills that meet or exceed program objectives and outcomes.
Learning is a life-long process motivated by a need for growth and constant adaptation to new situations. Vocational Nursing prepares the graduate for entry level employment in the health care arena.
Caring: the practice of caring is central to nursing; caring denotes a nurse's responsiveness to a client's problem; the nurse and the client collaborate to help the client gain control, knowledge, and health. Caring integrates biophysical knowledge of human behavior to generate or promote health and to assist those who are ill.