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The mission of the Department of Nursing is to facilitate the education of future professional nurses to be effective clinicians and leaders. As clinicians, graduates are prepared to promote the ability of all persons, families and communities in attaining their highest level of wellness. As leaders, graduates are prepared to use research for evaluating and improving health care approaches and for continued study in nursing.

Philosophy

Nursing, a caring art and science, encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness. Nurses use a variety of models to guide people of many cultures toward identifying their own health care and healing needs. Nurses model self care while supporting people in their own pursuit of health. People are born with healing capacities with or without perception of these capacities although a cure is not always certain. The nurse as a health care resource is available to assist people to move toward and maintain health in their human experiences. The society in which the nurse functions are rapidly changing and is technologically oriented. Nurses use knowledge gained from client preferences and values, clinical expertise and best research evidence as well as the integral process to guide their practice. The practice of nursing must be in accordance with established standards of clinical practice and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics (ANA, 2001) and the Maine Nurse Core Competencies (MPNEP, 2012).

Health, a personally perceived state of wellbeing, is an ever-changing holistic interplay among the physiological, spiritual, psychological, social, cultural, cognitive and emotional dimensions of people. Faculty believes that reflective practice is continuous one wherein the student develops a unique holistic awareness of self and how one’s self affects others. As people grow and develop, they strive to meet the needs of these interconnected dimensions to achieve a sense of harmony and balance between self and environment. Clients, as partners in their care, may be individuals, families, groups or communities.  Faculty value the uniqueness, worth, dignity and integrity of all people and believe that each human being is a dynamic holistic system. 

The essence of professional nursing education lies in the integration of academic and clinical experience. Faculty are committed to a foundation of study grounded in arts, sciences, and humanities that leads to Interprofessional and nursing education. The acquisition of competency based knowledge, skills and attitudes prepare future nurses to meet the healthcare needs of a diverse population. Faculty believe that student centeredness is the cornerstone to optimal learning and are committed to a supportive, caring and interactive environment that takes into account the diversity of culture and experience that students bring to the learning situation. Learning is a collaborative process whereby students and faculty learn from each other, clients, peers, mentors, preceptors as well as other health care professionals.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an academically rigorous four-year professional program. During the first four semesters, students build a foundation of knowledge in science, humanities and related professional disciplines. The student begins the process of knowledge application from theory to actual practice utilizing the sciences and experiential learning.

During the last four semesters students are deeply immersed in nursing course work and clinical experiences which emphasize clinical judgment, health and human functioning, care and therapeutics, person and environment and health care resources. Nursing skill laboratories combined with simulation, and clinical experiences occur in a variety of hospital and community settings. These settings, serving diverse populations, actualize the process of integrating theory to practice.
Upon successful completion of the curriculum, The 911����������� awards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Graduation Requirements

“A student in the nursing major may elect to pursue a bachelor’s degree in health sciences.  This degree is only open to matriculated students at the 911�����������.  Special permission from the student’s advisor and the Dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions is required for enrollment in the BS in Health Sciences”. 

Department Policies

Academic Integrity Policy

The 911����������� values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the university community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the dean of the appropriate College and, if upheld, will result at minimum in a failing grade on the assignment and a maximum of dismissal from the 911�����������. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
Actions that destroy or alter the work of another student.
Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
Plagiarism: the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one’s own.

 HIPAA Compliance

Prior to attending any clinical experience, it is mandatory that each nursing student document yearly completion of the 911����������� training program explaining their legal responsibilities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under this regulation, nursing students are permitted to have access to Protected Health Information (PHI) only when observing and performing direct client/patient care as a part of their training, and must follow approved HIPAA policies on usage of PHI. More detailed information is available in the 911����������� Department of Nursing Student Handbook, and will also be provided by the 911����������� HIPAA training program. Students requiring further clarification are referred to the faculty of this course. Students must comply with requirements and expectations for appropriate storage and transmittal of client information. No PHI can leave a covered entity site unless it is de-identified. All HIPAA violations will be reported to the 911����������� HIPAA Compliance Officer. 

Office for Students with Disabilities

The 911����������� will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students need to register with Disability Services and inform their instructors of any academic accommodations. Timely accommodations are dependent on early registration with Disability Services. This office is located in Stella Maris 131 on the Biddeford Campus (T-207-602-2815) and on the Lower Level of Ginn Hall on the Portland Campus (T-207-221-4418).  

WCHP Course & Instructor Evaluation Policy

Course and instructor evaluations are one of the most important tools that we have for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to course instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from everyone, so course evaluations are a required element of every course. Students who complete al