Nursing Degree (NUR)
Associate in Applied Science A.A.S.-
The Nursing Program is designed for student seeking an associate degree in registered nursing. Students who complete the AAS degree are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)*. Completion of the program does not guarantee licensure.
Congruent with the mission of Morton College, the nursing program mission is to provide exemplary teaching and learning experiences in preparing professional nurses for ethical practice and community service with a commitment to life-long learning.
The Morton College nursing program believes that the education of pre-licensure nurses is accomplished through an understanding of the needs of the adult learner and applying the principles of evidence-based teaching practices. To achieve this, the faculty and students are dedicated to creating educational experiences that encompass:
- Caring and compassion
- Ethics and integrity
- Diversity
- Human dignity and social justice
- Inquiry and critical thinking
- Communication and collaboration
- Accountability and responsibility
- Life-long learning
Professional nursing practice is both an art and a science that provides care in varied healthcare systems centered on individuals, families, communities and populations encompassing:
- Evidence-based best practices
- Safety and quality improvement
- Informatics and technology
- Advocacy
- Communication and collaboration
- Provision of education
- Wellness promotion, injury prevention and disease management
Program Outcomes
- Provide safe, quality, evidence-based patient-centered nursing care in a variety of healthcare settings to diverse patients across the life span.
- Employ the nursing process using critical thinking and clinical reasoning to manage patient care and within a culture of caring.
- Participate in collaborative relationships with members of the inter-professional team, the patient, and the patient’s support persons.
- Implement fiscally responsible quality and regulatory measures to improve patient care.
- Use information technology and patient care technology to assess, communicate, educate, mitigate error, and support decision-making.
- Assimilate professional, legal, and ethical guidelines in practice as a professional nurse.
Admission Requirements for all Applicants:
Students are admitted into the Nursing Program in the fall semester. All prospective nursing students must meet the requirements listed on the nursing department website in order to be considered for admission. Admission to the program is highly competitive and enrollments are limited each year. All admission requirements must be met for enrollment consideration. Students accepted in the Nursing Program are held accountable to the current policies and procedures outlined in the Handbook for Nursing Students (found on the department website).
Health Physical
Essential Functions
The curriculum leading to the RN requires students to engage in diverse, complex experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical, and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these functions. In addition to being essential to the successful completion of the requirements of the RN, these functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of clients, fellow students, faculty, and other healthcare providers. The essential abilities necessary to acquire and demonstrate competence in a discipline as complex as nursing and needed for successful admission and continuance in the Morton College Nursing Program. The essential abilities are listed on the department website under ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.
http://www.morton.edu/Essential_Functions/
The faculty reserves the right to determine whether the student has the personal, scholastic, and professional qualifications necessary to meet these expectations.
Clinical Requirements
Part of the learning experience involves direct patient care. Each student is held personally accountable to meeting specific health requirements to ensure the well-being of patients, staff and other individuals, and to foster self-care behaviors. The following documentation must be on file in the Health Careers Office prior to the first day of class and maintained throughout enrollment in the program: (current health requirements for clinical can be found on the department website under CLINICAL EXPERIENCES).
http://www.morton.edu/Nursing_Clinical_Experience/
Re-Application: Not applicable
Readmission
Please refer to the Nursing Student Handbook posted on the nursing department website
Admission Requirements
Required support courses (31-32 credits):
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Required nursing courses (38 credits):
First year:
| NUR 107 | Foundations of Nursing Practice I | 4 |
| NUR 108 | FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING PRACTICE II | 5 |
| NUR 110 | Clinical Judgement in Nursing | 2 |
| NUR 115 | Obstetrics and Pediatric Nursing | 5 |
| NUR 119 | Nursing Care of Adults I | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Second year:
Total Credit Hours: 69-70