State Fair Community College
Associate Degree Nursing Program
Mission Statement
The mission of the Associate Degree Nursing Program is to prepare students to become registered
professional nurses through a bi-level program in an educational environment that promotes critical
thinking, growth of the individual student and a holistic view of health care. The student is expected
to be caring, conscientious, flexible, professional, and accountable for their actions. In addition,
education is a learning process that results in behavioral change and is most effective as a share
responsibility.
Philosophy
SFCC ‘s Nursing Department is dedicated to upholding the college’s belief in the inherent value of
each individual and enabling our learners to develop their talents, reach their educational goals, and
become life-long learners who make a positive contribution to their community.
At SFCC, nursing is considered very much an art and science. We provide education for two
different levels of nursing at SFCC – PN and RN. Both levels are an integral part of nursing. The
Practical Nurse provides care in uncomplicated and relatively stable situations with a minimum of
supervision and direction from the RN and/or a person licensed in this state to prescribe medications
and treatments, while the RN often provides care for the more complicated client.
Nursing intervenes at three levels of client wellness: maintenance, restoration, and prevention of
illness. By using Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns the nursing process incorporates the health
status of the whole person; physiological, spiritual, social, and psychological. Nursing impacts the
human response to illness and health. The faculty believes health to be a dynamic process of growth
toward self-actualization in a client. Clients are individuals, families, and communities. Nurses
facilitate clients toward their optimum health status utilizing leadership principles and guided by
individual state nurse practice acts, Standards of Practice, and other regulatory principles.
The program utilizes a five step problem solving technique called the Nursing Process. The Nursing
Process is used to assist clients at all stages of growth and development toward optimum health. The
Nursing Process occurs not only in acute care settings but also in the community at large. Aware of
each client’s unique genetic and cultural background, the nursing process is adaptable to individual
needs and circumstances.
Nursing involves individuals who are critical thinkers, caring, conscientious, ethical, flexible,
professional, life-long learners, and accountable for their actions. Classroom and clinical
experiences are designed to progressively move the learner from the simple to more complex
concepts and procedures. Because our community has outstanding needs for both Licensed Practical
Nurses and Registered Nurses, our program utilizes Year One competencies to meet Missouri State
Board of Nursing Minimum Standards for Practical Nurses. Year Two competencies build on this to
meet the Missouri State Board of Nursing Minimum Standards for Registered Nurses.
Accepted by SFCC nursing faculty 9-14-2005
Revised 10-26-2005