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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 Student Access

The 911����������� will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students need to register with the Student Access Center 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 all their evaluations on time will have access to their grades as soon as they are available. For those students who do not complete their evaluations, grades will be masked for approximately two weeks.

Department of Nursing Academic and Progression Standards

Students accepted to the WCHP at the 911����������� are subject to two sets of academic guidelines, one to meet minimum qualifications for ongoing enrollment at the 911����������� and the other to meet specific nursing program requirements.

Freshman and Sophomore Years (Semesters 1 through 4)
In keeping with the minimum guidelines of the 911�����������, all students must achieve a minimum cumulative semester-end grade point average as follows to meet University requirements:

• Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirements will result in academic probation as described in the catalog of the 911�����������
• Students must also achieve a minimum grade of “C” in the following courses: MAT 120, CHE 130, BIO 104, BIO 208, BIO 209, BIO 242, BIO 309 and IHS 220/NUTR 220. Failure to achieve a “C” will result in program-level probation and may affect academic progression and delay graduation.  This also applies to equivilant coursework transferred from other institutions.
• Failure to earn a “C” or above in any of the above courses requires the student to repeat the course.
• Failure to achieve a “C” or above a second time the course is taken will result in dismissal from the major.
• Failure to achieve a "C" in more than one laboratory-based science course will result in dismissal from the nursing major.
• Students must obtain a final course average of 77+ in all 200 level Nursing courses in order to continue to progress through the program.
• A student may enroll in any of the courses listed above a maximum of two times. Enrollment consists of achieving a WP or WF or a letter grade. Receiving a W from a course is not considered being officially enrolled. 

Junior & Senior Years (Semesters 5 through 8)

• Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50
• Students must comply with requirements for attendance and professionalism.
• Student must comply with policies stated in 911����������� and Nursing Student Handbooks.
• Students must obtain a minimum cumulative examination average of 77 (C+) clinical nursing courses in order to continue to progress through the program.
• Students must obtain a C or better in all required science and mathematics courses.
• Students must obtain a 77 (C+) or better in all required nursing courses.
• Students must meet the competencies for satisfactory completion of the clinical component of each nursing course. An unsatisfactory grade (U) in clinical, regardless of the grade in the didactic component of the course, will result in a course grade no higher than C. In addition, a student cannot progress to the next clinical nursing course.
• If a student’s exam average in a clinical course is 77 (C+) or greater, his/her final grade will be determined by the calculation as stated in the syllabus for the course. If student’s exam average is less than 77 (C+), the final grade will be determined by the calculation as stated in the syllabus for the course, but not to exceed a C regardless of the earned average.
• Failure to obtain a minimum grade of 77 (C+) in any nursing course would necessitate that the student repeat the course to achieve the minimum grade. A student may repeat a nursing course twice and must be successful the second time. 

Dismissal from the Nursing Program at the 100 and 200 course level 

A student may be dismissed from the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

• Violations of the academic integrity policies
• Violation of the American Nurses Association “Code for Nurses” guidelines for ethical practice, or the National Student Nurses’ Association “Code of Academic and Clinical conduct”
• Failure to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in the WCHP Core Courses
• Failure to achieve a grade of C+ or higher in a 200 level nursing course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course
• Failure to achieve a grade of C or higher in a required science or math course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course.
• Failure to achieve a "C" in more than one laboratory-based science course will result in dismissal from the nursing major.
• A documented pattern of unprofessional behavior

Dismissal from the Nursing Program at the 300 and 400 course level

A student may be dismissed from the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

• Violations of the academic integrity policies
• Violation of the American Nurses Association “Code for Nurses” guidelines for ethical practice, or the National Student Nurses’ Association “Code of Academic and Clinical conduct.”
• Failure to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.50
• Failure to achieve a grade of C+ or higher in any nursing course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course.
• Failure to achieve a grade of C or higher in a required science or math course after a prior failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in the same course.
• A criminal background resulting in clinical partner refusal to support clinical education and/or discovery of criminal background following denial on nursing application.
• A documented pattern of unprofessional behavior.

Students dismissed from the nursing program related to academic deficiencies (low GPA or second failure of a nursing course) may petition the nursing faculty for readmission if they wish to reenter the program. Faculty will make a recommendation to the Director of the Nursing Department regarding readmission to the nursing program.

Students dismissed from the program may initiate an appeal process as documented in the 911����������� student manual. Students wishing to appeal an issue should refer to the 911����������� Student Handbook “Academic and Disciplinary Appeals Policy”.

Technical Standards

Technical standards are all of the nonacademic functional abilities essential for the delivery of safe, effective nursing care. These basic abilities make up the core components of nursing practice, and there is a high probability that untoward consequences may result for clients cared for by nurses who fail to demonstrate these abilities. In compliance with state and federal laws, nursing education programs must attend to these essential functional abilities in the teaching and evaluation of students preparing for the practice of nursing.