ULM School of Nursing

Further, it is the mission of the School of Nursing to provide continuing education to meet the needs of the nursing community of Northeast Louisiana, provide professional service to the community, and promote the development of the nursing profession through scholarly activity.

Goals

Service


A.	To provide professional service to the community through a variety of community service projects.
B.	To provide consultation services to health care agencies related to the specialized practice of nursing.
C.	To serve as a resource center for nursing practice information.
D.	To enhance the profession through the support of, and participation in, the programs and activities of professional nursing organizations.

Research


A.	To contribute to the advancement of nursing practice through the application of nursing research findings.
B.	To contribute to the advancement of nursing education through the application of nursing research findings.
C.	To contribute to the advancement of nursing science through research and other scholarly activities.

ULM School of Nursing Philosophy

The philosophy of the School of Nursing at the University of Louisiana at Monroe is derived from and in harmony with the philosophy of the University. The faculty believes that the purpose of the School of Nursing is to prepare its graduates for safe and effective practice as beginning baccalaureate prepared nurses. This program aims to prepare nurses who will create new roles to meet the emerging needs of society. The philosophy incorporates the beliefs of the faculty regarding the major concepts of nursing, person, environment, health, and learning.

Professional nursing is an art and a science. It is a dynamic, interpersonal discipline which exists to assist persons to maintain or move toward optimal function. The baccalaureate nurse utilizes the nursing process and critical thinking to perform the various caring roles of the nurse: advocate, leader, teacher, care provider, and researcher. As a member of the multidisciplinary team, the professional nurse provides culturally sensitive and competent care to persons of all ages in a variety of settings. Professional nursing requires specialized intellectual study, highly developed skills, and knowledge of and adherence to high ethical standards. These ethical, caring components include accountability and trustworthiness for one's self and for others.

Person refers to individuals, families, and communities. Each person is a unique, holistic being of inherent worth. Through dynamic processes of coping, each person strives to maintain equilibrium within the environment.

Environment consists of internal and external contexts and processes that have an impact on the person. The environment is shaped by historical, political, and economic influences.

Health is the optimal state of well-being along a continuum of wellness to illness from conception to death. It is a perception that varies according to cultural differences and values. Health can be viewed from an individual, community, and global perspective.

Learning is a process of discovery that culminates in acquisition of competencies. It is a dynamic, continuous process which occurs through active participation by diverse learners and is facilitated by the teacher through a variety of instructional techniques and technologies. The faculty believes in and practices the use of sound educational principles and demonstrates concern for the personal and professional development of the student. The student is accountable to and responsible for responding to the faculty as facilitators of learning. The student is accountable for his/her own personal and professional growth throughout the program.

Organizing Framework

The faculty of the School of Nursing at the University of Louisiana at Monroe believes that the organizing framework provides a basis for planning curriculum content, course structure and sequence, and curriculum evaluation. The framework is derived from the philosophy and is composed of the following major components: (1) human needs, (2) the nursing process, (3) levels of prevention, and (4) theories of nursing and other disciplines.

The first component, human needs, encompasses physiological, psychosocial, spiritual, cultural, and environmental needs. This provides a logical approach for assessing and prioritizing the needs of the person. In addition, it helps the nurse to understand the commonality of people, as well as the uniqueness of each individual, family, or community.

The second component, the nursing process, provides a widely-recognized, scientific approach to assist people to achieve health through therapeutic nursing interventions. The nursing process, which facilitates holistic care, consists of five steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation.

The third component consists of levels of prevention based on the natural history of disease.

1) Primary prevention consists of strategies aimed at lowering risk through health promotion and altering susceptibility through specific protection of people who are at risk for developing disease.

2) Secondary prevention consists of strategies aimed at early detection and prompt treatment of disease to provide cure or slow progression and to reduce disability or eliminate complications once disease is present.

3) Tertiary prevention consists of strategies aimed at limiting disability and providing rehabilitation from disease or injuries once there is damage or loss of function (Maurer, 2007).

The fourth component consists of theories of nursing and other disciplines that provide the learner with a framework for providing holistic care.

There are ten sub-concepts, which permeate the curriculum. These include: (1) critical thinking, (2) human development, (3) communication, (4) interpersonal relationships, (5) legal-ethical issues, (6) personal-professional values, (7) human diversity, (8) roles of the nurse, (9) health experiences, and (10) focus of care (individual, family, and/or community).

Graduate Competencies

Registered Nurse Education Plan

41 hours granted with current LA RN license upon successful completion of all prerequisites and NURS 220. Total hours required for degree, 125.

Full time and part time options are available. For the latest information and to have your transcript evaluated please contact:


Dr. Florencetta Gibson Director University of Louisiana at Monroe School of Nursing 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209-0460 fgibson@ulm.edu Phone: (318) 342-1640 Fax: (318) 342-1567	- or -	Emily Doughty, M.S.N., R.N. Associate Director University of Louisiana at Monroe School of Nursing 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209-0460 doughty@ulm.edu Phone: (318) 342-1640 Fax: (318) 342-1567

Licensed Practical Nursing Education Plan

Detailed Requirements

Applicants for admission to the professional program, in addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the University, must fulfill the requirements of the pre-nursing curriculum. An applicant must possess a minimum, corrected cumulative grade point average of 2.8 in all required pre-nursing courses, and no grade of less than C will be accepted in any pre-nursing course.

Application forms for admission to the professional program may be obtained from:

Students must demonstrate computer competence by either taking a computer course or taking the placement examination offered by the School of Nursing. Contact the School of Nursing for a schedule of placement exams.