The AASN RODP Vision Statement:
Better life for Tennesseans through excellence in nursing education.

The AASN RODP Mission Statement:
The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Regents Online Degree Program, using technology, will improve access to high-quality, affordable, student-centered  nursing education opportunities through collaboration among the TBR institutions.

• Objectives

Upon completion of the program, the AASN RODP graduate will be eligible for licensure as a registered nurse and able to assume the roles of the associate degree nurse.

As a provider of patient care, the graduate will use a clinical decision making process to assist the patient to achieve optimum health.
As a manager of care, the graduate will use communication, collaboration and organizational skills to facilitate the care for individual and groups of patients with health care needs.
As a member within the discipline of nursing, the graduate will assume responsibility for personal and professional growth, continued learning, self-development and accountability for practicing within the ethical and legal framework of nursing practice and in accord with the standards of nursing care.

The roles of the Associate Degree nurse form the three goals of the AASN RODP Nursing Program.  In order to achieve the goals of the nursing program, graduates must perform central competencies basic to the practice of associate degree nursing. Each course in the nursing program contributes to the development of these competencies. The central competencies include the ability to:
1.   KNOWLEDGE: Integrate knowledge and skills acquired from general education foundation and nursing discipline to assist diverse persons across the life span to promote, maintain and restore optimum health.

2.   ASSESSMENT: Collect subjective and objective data for diverse persons across the life span.

3.   CLINICAL DECISION MAKING: Use the nursing process as a clinical decision making process in caring for diverse persons across the life span with actual and potential alterations in health.

4.   CARING BEHAVIORS: Implement caring interventions for patients across the life span in diverse settings that incorporate principles of dignity, diversity, safety and knowledge.

5.   COMMUNICATION: Communicate effectively with the individual, significant support persons and healthcare providers.

6.   TEACHING/LEARNING: Develop, implement, evaluate and modify an individualized teaching plan based on identified need(s).

7.   COORDINATION: Coordinate nursing care for patient(s) and groups of patients using management principles

8.   COLLABORATION: Collaborate effectively with the individual, significant support person(s) and health care team to achieve positive outcomes.

9.   PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIORS: Practice within the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks of nursing and the standards of professional nursing practice.

10. INFORMATICS:  Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computer based technologies appropriate to the health care industry.

This program will directly impact the nursing shortage which critically affects Tennessee and the nation.  The philosophy and organization of the curriculum for the program are centered on the person, a clinical decision making process and the roles basic to associate degree nursing practice.

Nursing

Each person is a unique being, innately worthy of respect and dignity. The person, as a member of a community, interacts with the environment and utilizes intellect and free will to make decisions. Viewed as multifaceted with physiological, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual components, the person responds as an organized whole to internal or external stressors. These stressors elicit adaptation responses that may result in movement along the health continuum.

Health is a dynamic state that reflects adaptation responses to internal and external stressors in order to maintain physiological, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual well-being. Health reflects the person’s ability to maintain essential life functions, including protective, sensory-perceptual, comfort/rest, activity/mobility, nutrition/metabolism, fluid and gas transport, elimination, psychosocial-cultural, and growth and development (including reproduction) functions. Alteration in any function potentially affects health. Wellness requires the integration of health practices by the person throughout life in order to reach their optimum potential. Illness exists when adaptation responses are ineffective and/or incomplete.     

Nursing is a caring profession that provides health care to diverse persons across the life span in diverse care settings. With a broad knowledge base, nursing is both an art and a science, combining the art of caring with the science of nursing. Utilizing the nursing process as the clinical decision making process and the basis for care, nursing focuses on the response of the person to actual and potential health alterations. As a therapeutic process, nursing assists in the promotion and maintenance of health, management of illness, restoration of function, education of persons, and preservation of dignity. As an interpersonal process, nursing communicates and collaborates with individuals, significant support persons and health care providers to foster optimum health.

The Practice of the Associate Degree Graduate

Upon completion of the program of study, the graduate demonstrates the associate degree competencies essential for entry level practice as a registered nurse. The associate degree nurse graduate is prepared to:

•    provide quality direct patient care in diverse settings

•    manage the care of patient(s) and groups of patients

•    become a member of the discipline of nursing.     

As a provider of care, the associate degree nurse, in conjunction with the patient, uses the nursing process as a clinical decision making process to assess the patient's state of adaptation through collection and validation of data; analyze data to identify a problem statement and outcomes; develop a plan of care that includes priorities of care and patient-centered outcomes; organize and coordinate the plan of care and implement caring interventions; and evaluate the patient's progress toward meeting the established outcomes.     

As a manager of care, the associate degree nurse uses communication, collaboration and coordination to facilitate the care of individual patients or groups of patients with health care needs. The associate degree nurse is a patient advocate and is accountable for care delegated to others and the efficient use of resources that support positive patient and organizational outcomes.     

As a member of the discipline of nursing, the associate degree nurse assumes responsibility for personal and professional growth, continued learning, and self-development. The associate degree nurse is responsible for practicing within the ethical and legal framework of nursing practice and in accord with the standards of nursing care.

Nursing Education     

Nursing education is a continuous, lifelong process that results in observable and measurable changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes. Learning occurs best when the learner is self-directed, an active participant in the learning process, and accountable for personal behavior and performances. Learning is enhanced when there are opportunities for practice, self-discipline, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making.     

Learners bring a variety of life experiences, learning styles and personal goals to the educational setting. Learners share responsibility with the educator for identification of learning needs, selection of learning activities and evaluation of educational outcomes.

Educators are responsible for facilitating an environment to meet the individual needs of the learner, giving guidance to the educational process and evaluating educational outcomes.

Nursing education is best accomplished in an institution of higher learning where knowledge from the areas of natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, written and oral communication, humanities, mathematics and technology is integrated with nursing theory.  Nursing education is enhanced by the identification of educational outcomes, learning objectives and diverse learning activities.