Collection Development: Nursing
I.
Program Description
As stated on the nursing department’s home page, the department’s mission is “to provide a
curriculum in nursing built on a liberal arts and science foundation designed to prepare
women for entry into professional nursing practice and for advanced practice in nursing.
Further, in keeping with the mission of the College, the department seeks to educate
women in the tradition of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility, and
social responsibility.
As a Catholic college, Saint Mary's cultivates a Christian community of intellectual inquiry
and social action. The department emphasizes student development in faith and
responsiveness to spiritual needs of self and others that challenges students to promote
human health and dignity through their practice of professional nursing, making a
difference in a complex world by assuming leadership roles.”
Students majoring in nursing earn a Bachelor of Science degree. For women with a
baccalaureate degree in another major from an accredited college or university, Saint
Mary's College offers the Accelerated Option Program in Nursing. The program leads to a
Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing.
Upon completion of course requirements and clinical experience, students in both the
undergraduate program and the accelerated program are prepared to take the National
Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) for licensure as a registered professional
nurse.
II.
Interdisciplinary Relationships
The nursing program combines liberal studies with professional nursing courses and
clinical experience. The interdisciplinary nature of the health professions makes it
necessary for students of nursing to become acquainted with a wide variety of subjects,
such as the biological sciences, pharmacy, medicine, chemistry, psychology, sociology,
social work, child development, nutrition, education, community planning, public policy,
communications and business.
III. Accreditation or External Review
The nursing program at Saint Mary’s College is accredited through the National League for
Nursing Accrediting Commission. Expectations of library resources as part of the
accrediting process?
IV. Collection Description
A. Library of Congress Classification
The collection is classified in R. The following categories are relevant to the nursing
curriculum: R (medicine - general); RA (public aspects of medicine); RB (pathology); RC
(internal medicine); RD (surgery); RG (gynecology and obstetrics); RJ (pediatrics); RM
(therapeutics and pharmacology); RS (pharmacy and materia medica); and RT (nursing).
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Additional material is located in QM (anatomy and physiology), BF (psychology), and HQ
(family, marriage, women, and sexuality).
B. Subject Treatment
Relevance to the current curriculum of the nursing department is the number one selection
guideline with a focus in areas of present course offerings at Saint Mary’s College.
Collecting efforts are also aimed at maintaining a well rounded collection for the
undergraduate in all areas of nursing thus providing a basic collection as curricular and
research interests change. As such, collecting will focus on, but not be limited to, the
following subject areas: nursing fundamentals, nursing administration, leadership,
management, and professional practice, family health nursing, community health nursing,
evidence-based practices, critical care nursing, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology,
maternal-child nursing, medical-surgical nursing, patient education, pediatrics,
pharmacology, psychiatric and mental health care, oncology, pharmacology, and ethics in
nursing.
C. Languages
English is the primary language of the collection.
D. Geographical Limits (subject content)
Material is acquired to support the study of nursing in the United States. However,
comparative or cross-cultural material is acquired on topics relevant to the curriculum.
E. Chronological Coverage
Some historical treatment of nursing will be collected as appropriate.
F. Imprint Date
Preference is given to material published in the last five years. Material published prior to
this guideline will be collected as deemed appropriate.
V.
Selection and Assessment Tools
Recommendations from the faculty are encouraged and expected. It is assumed that
expertise in their respective fields will guide them in recommending titles for the library to
purchase. Reviews in professional/scholarly journals, publisher’s catalogs, conference
attendance, and association memberships also provide resources from which titles might be
suggested. The collection development librarian along with the other library faculty will
also make recommendations. In addition, the following tools provide useful guidance for
both selection and assessment of the collection:

Choice Reviews Online
o a review source for academic libraries

Brandon/Hill Selected List of Print Nursing Books and Journals
o last published in 2000
o 370 books in 55 broad categories as well as 86 journals
o www.mssm.edu/library/brandon-hill/nursing/book_list.shtml
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
American Journal of Nursing (AJN)
o “Book of the Year Awards” in January issue
o monthly “Nursing Resources” section which reviews new books
o available in the library or on the AJN website at www.ajnonline.com

Essential Nursing References (ENR)
o published biennially in the official journal of the National League of
Nursing: Nursing Education Perspectives
o www.nln.org/nlnjournal/nursingreferences.htm

The Library Health Center
o published by YBP Library Services, Majors, and Baker & Taylor
o provides updates to the titles that appeared in the final Brandon/Hill list in
2000
o www.libraryhealthcenter.com
04/20/09
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