Iowa Valley Community College District

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Nursing Program Philosophy

The philosophy of the Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) nursing program is consistent with the mission and goals of IVCCD. The philosophy of the nursing program focuses on the nature of the person, environment, health, the professional discipline of nursing, nursing education, nursing process, nurse caring, family and the life span.

The nursing faculty believes that a person is a unique biopsychosocial being who is continuously evolving. The faculty recognizes that the evolution of persons is influenced by culture, heredity, values, education, experiences, and spirituality. The faculty promotes the study of human development over the life span. The faculty believes that persons develop significant relationships, including family relationships over the life span. The study of families is an important component of nursing education.

The faculty considers environment as all external conditions affecting the life and development of the person. We view environment as a constantly changing phenomenon.

We believe that health is a relative state that reflects the perceptions of persons and families. The promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health are the combined responsibility of persons, families, and healthcare providers.

Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems. The nurse's role is that of a healthcare provider who utilizes the nursing process to assess, plan, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of nurse caring. We believe that nursing practice is a synthesis of science and art with a core body of nursing knowledge.

We believe that nursing education is a lifelong process of developing knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. It is the goal of the IVCCD nursing faculty to facilitate learning by providing a sequence of theoretical and experiential learning, to ensure competence in beginning practical and/or associate degree nursing.

We believe that there is a need for different levels of nursing within the scope of nursing practice. The faculty is committed to programs that provide a core body of nursing knowledge and that facilitate advancement to other levels of nursing. Both practical and associate degree graduates are accountable for their nursing actions and must practice within the legal and ethical framework of nursing. The educational programs must provide for articulation from nursing related programs and facilitate articulation to baccalaureate nursing programs.