BSN STUDENT HANDBOOK

Introduction

Academic Calendar 2007-2008

www.uta.edu/catalog

Administration Names and Contact Numbers 

Your decision to enroll in The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing is one of the most important in your life. This decision will also be important to the many individuals whom you will encounter during your nursing career.

            When you graduate from the nursing program at UT Arlington, you will have a strong foundation upon which you can continue to fulfill your lifelong commitment to the nursing profession and to the health care needs of the community. You will be well-prepared for the many opportunities that will be available in the health care field and be able to apply your knowledge and skill to making a difference in the lives of patients/clients, their families, and communities. Additionally, you will be prepared to work in the current health care system as well as develop future career paths as our health care system continues to change.

            We welcome you to the School of Nursing and look forward to the many contributions you will make during this educational experience. We are committed to providing you with an education which is both challenging and supportive, leading to intellectual discovery and success.

Elizabeth C. Poster, PhD, RN, FAAN

The School of Nursing is fully accredited by the *Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.

(*CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120 www.aacn.nche.edu )

The University of Texas School of Nursing, established in 1890 as the John Sealy Hospital Training School of Nurses, is one of the oldest schools of nursing in the Southwest. Originally organized as an independent school under a board of lay managers, a complete curriculum was established in 1940 leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education.

In 1957 the School of Nursing admitted the last class to the diploma program. Since that time it has offered one basic program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In the fall of 1960 Austin became an extension campus of the School of Nursing which was still headquartered in Galveston, and nursing courses were offered on the Austin campus for the first time.

Reorganized in 1967 as The University of Texas Nursing School (System-wide), administrative offices were moved to Austin. As the School developed, the system administration, Tarrant County Hospital District officials, and the Medical Committee of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce explored the possibility of a University of Texas Nursing School campus in Fort Worth. The John Peter Smith Hospital School of Nursing was phased out in favor of The University of Texas Nursing School. In the fall of 1972, sixty-seven students were admitted to The University of Texas (undergraduate) Nursing School in Tarrant County. In October 1972, the name of the School was changed to The University of Texas School of Nursing at Fort Worth. At the same time, the (System-wide) Nursing School was renamed The University of Texas System School of Nursing.

In March of 1976, the Board of Regents of The University of Texas made each of the System Schools a part of the nearest University of Texas institution. Thus, the Fort Worth campus became The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing (UTASON), and in September 1977, the School of Nursing physically moved from Fort Worth to the UTA campus and into the Business Building. In Fall 1982, the School of Nursing moved into a 12.4 million dollar, 154,000 square foot Nursing Building. In 1995 the building was renamed Pickard Hall to honor the founding dean, Dr. Myrna Pickard.

The Undergraduate program consists of the BSN and the RN to BSN programs.  In addition to the Arlington campus, the RN to BSN program is offered via DVD on extended campuses in the rural areas of: Paris (1990), Waco (1989), Kaufman (1996), Grayson County (1990), UNT System Center in Southern Dallas (2001), Texas Health Resources sites and John Peter Smith Hospital sites have been recently added. 

The Graduate Program offers a Master of Science in Nursing. Currently, UTA offers NP Programs in the areas of Acute Care, Acute Care Pediatrics, Adult, Emergency, Family, Gerontology, Pediatrics and Psychiatric-Mental Health, as well as a Nursing Administration Program. In addition to the NP or administration role, students can elect to have a dual role as an educator. UTA School of Nursing also offers post-master’s certificate programs as an NP, Educator, and Registered Nurse First Assistant.

The PhD in Nursing program was started in 2003 to prepare nurse scientists to meet the health needs of a rapidly changing, culturally diverse society. Doctoral nursing education builds on a foundation of masters nursing education and prepares the student for original research and theory development. The PhD Program includes two areas of study: Academic Role Development; Clinical Research. The Clinical Research area of study prepares the student for original research and theory development. Graduates of the Academic Role Development area of study are prepared to assist students for healthcare careers among culturally diverse and/or vulnerable populations. Beginning in Fall 2006, a new entry option, BSN to PhD, is offered.

The School of Nursing provides both a pre-licensure BSN and an RN to BSN course of study.

For students seeking to become Registered Nurses, there is a four-year course of study consisting of nursing courses, university core courses and other prerequisite required courses. Upon successful completion, the student is awarded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination {NCLEX} for licensure as a Registered Nurse.

For Registered Nurses who have completed an accredited Associate Degree or Diploma nursing program, the RN to BSN course of study allows full-time students to complete required upper division courses in one academic year. Part time options are also available.  Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

There are some procedural differences between these two approaches to acquiring the BSN; red color coding is used throughout this handbook to indicate those differences.

The undergraduate program of The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing has adopted the components of the AACN’s Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice [Essentials] (1998) and the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners’ Differentiated Entry Level Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs [DEL-C] (2002) as the organizing framework for the curriculum. Using different approaches in the BSN and RN to BSN programs to meet the same program outcomes is consistent with the intent of the DEL-C that states, “The competencies of each education level build upon the previous level” (pg. ii). The faculty designed the RN to BSN curriculum to build on the associate degree nurse competencies.

The baccalaureate program prepares competent, self-directed generalist nurses (Registered Nurses) who can assume increasing responsibility and leadership in the delivery of evidence-based nursing care. The components of the organizing framework for the undergraduate program include liberal education, professional values, core competencies, core knowledge, and role development.

Liberal Education   The philosophy of the SON states, “undergraduate education builds on a foundation of the sciences, humanities, and arts.” The curriculum includes 60 hours of combined arts and physical, social, and behavioral sciences upon which nursing courses are based. Knowledge and skills gained during the prerequisite courses are essential to independent decision-making and critical thinking as a professional nurse. Faculty members promote integration of the liberal education knowledge and skills by providing links between content learned during prerequisite courses and content in the nursing courses. For example, natural science prerequisites provide knowledge of the structure and function of the human body as well as an understanding of chemical interactions that provide the basis for the pathophysiology and pharmacology courses in the nursing program. Psychology and sociology courses explore the development of values and beliefs over the lifespan and provide a context for the formation of professional values. 

 Professional Values    Honesty, integrity, and caring are seen as foundational values to interacting respectfully with all persons and providing culturally competent care. Students and faculty are expected to uphold the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, fidelity, veracity, and autonomy. Fundamental to the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics and the UTASON Nursing Students Code of Ethics (www.uta.edu/nursing/handbook/ETHICS.pdf ), these key principles are integrated in the last sentence of the Students Code. “Working within their chosen profession, nursing students should strive to do no harm and promote good while encompassing principles of justice, veracity, and fidelity, recognizing individuals’ freedom to make their own decisions.

Core Competencies   Critical thinking, communication, assessment, and technical skills are core competencies of the undergraduate program. Critical thinking is essential to the application of ethical principles and professional values in the practice of nursing. Critical thinking is required to assess the relevance of assessment findings in patient care and the credibility of evidence in developing standards of care. All aspects of nursing practice are contingent upon communication. Students learn communication through practicing different types of communication and reflecting on one’s performance with feedback from faculty and peers. The selection of appropriate nursing interventions is contingent upon the quality of the patient assessment. Holistic assessment of individuals and families is introduced early in the undergraduate curriculum. Building on that content, students learn to assess groups and communities in providing increasingly complex care. Care includes technical skills such as sterile technique, medication administration, and use of monitoring equipment. Baccalaureate-prepared nurses are prepared to implement and, if needed, creatively adapt technical skills to meet the needs of patients. 

 Core Knowledge    Core competencies are based upon several areas of core knowledge. Professional nurses intervene with individuals, families, groups, and communities to promote health, reduce risks, and prevent disease. Because health is a continuum from wellness to illness, interventions implemented toward health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention are as highly valued as those implemented to manage disease and illness. The nurse selects and implements interventions using knowledge of pathophysiology, social and cultural factors, and educational principles. Nurses must be able to use information technology to have the most up-to-date information for developing practice standards and teaching peers and patients. Health care technologies are mechanical equipment and means to obtain assessment data and to support body functions. These technologies are essential for nurses who must evaluate evidence, integrate information, and create new knowledge.

            Ethics is the application of professional values in practice and academic situations. Nurses use a systematic approach in thinking about challenges to personal and professional values and in determining a course of action. Ethics are a factor in human diversity, in that the nurse who values human dignity will recognize the unique needs of various cultural and racial groups. Globalization of communication, travel, and migration has resulted in increased diversity in our communities of interest. Because nurses practice within a system of health care to advocate for patients’ needs, they must understand organizations and policy at the institution, local, state, country and global levels. Using these areas of core knowledge, the professional nurse can implement the roles of provider of care, manager of care, teacher, and researcher.

Role Development    Core knowledge provides the rationale for nursing actions while core competencies are fundamental to the roles that the professional nurse enacts. The undergraduate curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for four roles- clinician, teacher, manager, and researcher. As a clinician, the nurse provides direct and indirect patient care. The clinician uses technology and human interaction to provide evidence-based care to individuals, families, groups, and communities. Being an advocate for the patient is an essential function of the clinician role, supporting the patient’s right to make care-related decisions. Closely integrated with the clinician role is the teacher role. While providing patient care, the professional nurse educates patients and families so they have the abilities and skills to care for themselves. As a teacher, the nurse also educates peers and other health care workers to improve the quality of patient care. As a manager, the nurse develops plans of care that others may implement. The baccalaureate-prepared nurse is responsible for the coordination of care provided by self and others. As a manager, the nurse supervises and leads staff to ensure safety and enhance clinical outcomes. The undergraduate curriculum also prepares nurses to identify, evaluate, and use research findings as the scientific basis for patient care. Students develop the roles of clinician, teacher, manager, and researcher over the course of the curriculum, moving from simple to complex and from repetition of facts to evaluation and synthesis of knowledge. In keeping with the Essentials, the roles of clinician, teacher, manager, and researcher assume that the nurse is a member of the profession, upholding the legal standard and ethical commitment to provide safe and high quality patient care and to promote health for all persons. Development of these roles requires self-awareness, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

The School of Nursing is an integral component of The University of Texas at Arlington and subscribes to the mission of the University.  The School of Nursing prepares quality nurse health care providers through excellence in education, scholarship and service.  The undergraduate and graduate academic programs prepare individuals for professional nursing roles and for collaboration with other professionals and consumers in the delivery of holistic health care.

The faculty believes learning is a continuous lifelong process and a personal responsibility.  Students must be actively involved in the learning process to acquire clinical proficiency and to be socialized into professional roles. Learning experiences are implemented to achieve sequence, continuity and synthesis of knowledge and expertise as defined by the educational outcomes.  Teaching and learning are dynamic processes involving curriculum evaluation and revision based on research evidence, the needs of a multicultural society, and the changing health care system.  The educational process facilitates the development of each person's potential and promotes cultural competence and assimilation of ethical principles.

Faculty and students foster an educational climate of mutual respect, honesty, intellectual inquiry, creativity, and effective communication. We contribute to the development of our profession through the conduct of research and the dissemination and application of evidence-based knowledge.  Faculty and students provide service to the community through clinical practice and leadership.  

Undergraduate nursing education builds on a foundation of studies in the sciences,  humanities and arts.  The baccalaureate program prepares competent, self-directed generalist nurses (Registered Nurses) who can assume increasing responsibility and leadership in the delivery of evidence-based nursing care.

Master’s education builds on a foundation of undergraduate nursing education and provides specialty practice with an expanded theoretical and empirical knowledge base.  The Master of Science in Nursing programs prepare Registered Nurses for advanced functional roles that require increased accountability, expertise and leadership.  Graduates are prepared to provide evidence-based health care in collaboration with other health care providers and consumers.

Doctoral education develops and advances empirical knowledge to promote evidence-based practice in the discipline of nursing.  Graduates have a background to develop theories and conduct research with vulnerable populations and to assume academic, research, and leadership roles.  The doctorate provides a basis for future research programs and other scholarly activities.

Lifelong learning is the responsibility of each professional nurse. Continuing education programs developed by the School of Nursing are sensitive to the influences of a changing society and respond to the continuing education needs of professional nurses in Texas.    (Approved by faculty 9/2004) 

Upon completion of this undergraduate program, students will be able to:

1.      apply the nursing process using evidence-based data in the delivery of competent, culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate holistic care;

2.      use analytical, logical reasoning for clinical judgment and nursing decision making;

3.      assume accountability and responsibility for the quality of nursing care, upholding legal and ethical standards, lifelong learning, continuing professional development, promoting the nursing profession, and participating as a citizen in society;

4.      collaborate effectively with individuals and groups, using oral and written, nonverbal and electronic communication, to enhance the therapeutic process and to maintain collegial professional relationships;

5.      coordinate human and material resources in providing comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective care to persons/clients.