New technology in our computer labs and a recognized nursing skills laboratory help create an active and challenging program. These on-campus experiences are accompanied by a broad array of learning experiences in hospitals, nursing homes, and community sites that prepare nursing students for the changing world of health care. Nursing faculty work closely with students in small clinical groups to foster their growth and development in nursing practice. Caring, communicating, critical thinking, and self-directed learning are crucial processes used by both faculty and students in this dynamic and collaborative learning environment. Nursing continues to involve direct skilled care to patients, but it also requires strong communication skills, computer literacy, teaching, coordination of care, and a commitment to practice within the legal and ethical framework of the profession.
Nurses uphold a social contract with society in delivering nursing care.
As the population in the United States ages, nurses with a respect and concern for the elderly are increasingly in demand. Graduates are employed in a variety of health care settings, but the majority of new graduates begin their careers in the acute care hospital. With the movement into managed care, health care now occurs in an ever increasing number of community settings, such as the home, clinics, schools, day care programs, senior citizen centers, and a variety of sub-acute care facilities. Nurses are more involved in the continuum of care and teaching patients and families necessary information for self-care. As health care continues to change, nurses are increasingly employed in community settings.