Associate Degree Nursing (AAS)

Patient-Centered Care

The provision of care that is based on the patient’s physiological, psychological, and sociological needs, recognizing the individual’s preferences and values, and respecting the patient or designee as a full partner in providing compassionate, coordinated, age and culturally appropriate, safe, effective care (adapted from Massachusetts Nurse of the Future, 2010).

• Outcome: Demonstrate patient-centered, caring, culturally sensitive nursing care based on complex physiological, psychosocial and sociological needs of patients.

Teamwork and Collaboration

The delivery of patient-centered care in partnership with interprofessional members of the health care team, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making, to achieve continuity of care and optimal patient outcomes (adapted from QSEN, 2007).

• Outcome: Collaborate with members of the interprofessional health care team to promote continuity of patient care and achievement of optimal outcomes.

Evidence Based Practice

The integration of best current evidence coupled with clinical expertise and consideration of the patients’ or designees’ preferences, experiences and values to make safe, quality practice decisions for optimal patient outcomes (Adapted from Massachusetts Nurse of the Future, 2010).

• Outcome: Use best current evidence, expert opinion, and clinical expertise as a basis for quality nursing practice and clinical judgment.

Quality Improvement

The use of data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and the use of improvement methods to design and inform change, continuously improving the quality and safety of health care services to meet the needs of patients and promote optimal healthcare outcomes (Adapted from QSEN, 2007).

• Outcome: Promote the development and implementation of quality improvement strategies to advance health care services.

Safety

The minimization of risk factors that could cause harm or delay patient recovery while promoting quality care and maintaining a secure environment for patients, self, and others through both system effectiveness and individual performance (adapted from QSEN, 2007).

• Outcome: Create a safe environment for patients, self, and others.

Informatics

The use of information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support evidence-based decision making (adapted from QSEN, 2007)

• Outcome: Integrate information technology resources into the provision of patient care.

Leadership

The process by which nurses use a set of skills that directs and influences achievement of shared goals in the provision of individualized, safe, quality patient care (adapted from Massachusetts Nurse of the Future, 2010).

• Outcome: Integrate leadership and management skills when directing and influencing patient care.

Professionalism

The demonstration of accountable and responsible behavior by the nurse for the delivery of standard-based nursing care that incorporates legal, ethical, and humanistic principles within the parameters of regulatory guidelines (adapted from Massachusetts Nurse of the Future, 2010).

• Outcome: Model nursing practice using professional, ethical, legal, and humanistic principles within regulatory guidelines.
  • 70% of students will complete the program within 150% of program length.
  • 85% of graduates will pass the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt.
  • 85% of graduates who respond to the 6-12 m Graduate Survey will be employed.
  • 90% of employers rate new graduates as 3 or better on a 4-point scale on how well the graduate outcomes prepared students for their current role as a practicing nurse.
  • 90% of alumni 6-12 month post-graduation score 3 or better (4 ranking highest degree of satisfaction) of overall program satisfaction.