Introduction

The College of Nursing at An-Najah National University offers a four-year Undergraduate Programme leading to the degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This Programme prepares professional nurses who can work with a Multidisciplinary Health Team in order to meet the Client’s Health Needs and to upgrade the quality of Health Care in various Health Settings.

Conceptual Framework

The Primary Concepts on which the Baccalaureate Curriculum is built are 'Care' and 'Cure' of Healthy and Sick Individuals. Care and Cure are essential to professional practice.

Research-based practice and developing clinical judgement and assessment are core strands in the Curriculum. Students progress through developing their Cognitive, Motor and Effective Skills in dealing with individuals throughout the life-cycle. Impairment to the Normal Development and the Health Status of individuals, their families and the Community at large constitute the basic, fundamental concepts to the Baccalaureate Curriculum. Nursing action is based on adequate screening and management of the human being with the ultimate aim being the promotion and maintenance of health, preventing and curing illness and rehabilitation at all three levels of Health Care: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Leadership skills are essential for professional nurses in dealing with clients, guiding subordinates, working as professionals with colleagues and members of the Health Team and for community mobilisation, in order to achieve progress in the Nursing and Health Agendas.

Aims and Rationale

”In addition to knowledge and skills, the basic Programme should give students the ability to exercise independent and critical judgement, to independently solve problems and to follow developments within the area covered by their education and training. The Programme should also develop their ability to exchange information at a Scientific Level”

”To obtain the Bachelor of Science in the Nursing Degree, the student should have

• Acquired the knowledge and skills required to be able to work independently as a nurse in General Health Care.
• Acquired general and specific knowledge in Nursing.
• Developed self-knowledge and the power of insight. Additionally, through an Ethical Approach and a holistic picture of man, students should thereby have developed the ability to have good relationships with patients and their families.
• Acquired knowledge about the conditions in society that affect the health of men and women and be able to initiate and participate in Health Promotion and Preventive Care.
• Acquired knowledge concerning the Economics and Organisation of Health Care that is of importance to Health Care.
• Acquired knowledge concerning the Planning, Leadership and Co-ordination of Care and developed a Professional Approach as preparation for teamwork and collaboration among all personnel groups.
• Acquired the ability to instruct patients and their families and to supervise care staff."

The Nursing Programme

The aim of the Nursing Programme is for the student to attain professional competence as a nurse. This involves attaining knowledge concerning the basic Theory and Methodology of the profession so as then to be able to develop one’s own profile and a professional approach to the work. It also involves acting in accordance with the Ethical Code and Regulations of the profession and in accordance with the Goals of the organisation, acquiring critical thinking, and being open to changes and participating in the development and evaluation of the area of Competence.

Nursing is the core subject of the Programme. The Concepts of 'Mankind,' 'Health,' 'Environment' and 'Nursing Actions'- and the associations between these Concepts- are central factors. Nursing focuses on the individual’s needs and resources in relationship to Health and Well-Being. It comprises the actions taken for and together with a healthy or a sick person with the aim of maintaining or attaining Optimal Health and Quality of Life or in supporting the person facing death. Health is seen here as a dynamic condition in which the individual reacts in a unique way to his/her surroundings as a whole and where each change in State of Health affects the whole individual. This Approach is based on a holistic view of the individual. Nursing Actions are those that support the individual in maintaining and developing knowledge, abilities and skills in order to attain an optimal degree of health and Quality of Life as quickly as possible. Nursing is based on a Humanistic Concept of man where the interaction in the encounter with the person is of central importance. Nursing Care is carried out in such a way that the individual’s integrity and autonomy are maintained.

In his/her professional role, the nurse has primary responsibility for Nursing Care. Nursing Care should be carried out in association with other Professional Groups. In addition, the Theoretical and Ethical Bases should be made clear and should constitute the basis of daily work and evaluation of the activities that should be carried out. Furthermore, this responsibility means that Development and Research within Nursing are followed in order to be able to convey new findings and to apply them.

Educational Approach and Organisation of the Programme

The student’s development of lifelong learning is emphasised. This is a way of dealing with the Society of today and tomorrow, which is characterised by constant change, development and rapid growth of and access to new knowledge. Taking responsibility for one’s learning, seeking and evaluating knowledge and being able to deal with change are also central factors. This view of learning requires that the individual is active, i.e. that he/she studies the facts, reflects, takes a stand, tries things out or expresses himself/herself verbally and in writing. The whole individual, with his/her thoughts, feelings and actions, is involved in learning.  Man has a need for wholeness, and learns in interplay with others and with the surroundings. The Outlook upon which this supposition is based is characterised by a belief in each individual’s ability and a desire to obtain knowledge and competence. The most important tasks of education are to stimulate the student’s motivation in different ways, promote the development of self-directed learning and make sure there there are good conditions for learning.

The Curriculum is based on the Neumann Systems Model. Betty Neumann developed the Health Care System Model as an organising Framework to help in the understanding of Client's Needs by using a Holistic Viewpoint. Neumann defines, describes and links together the Four Concepts of the Nursing Met Paradigm (Person, Environment, Health and Nursing) within the Model using the world-view of Reciprocal Interaction. The Neumann Systems Model depicts an Open System in which persons and their environment are in dynamic interaction. The Client System is composed of Five Interacting Variables: Physiology, Psychology, Sociocultural, Development and Spirituality.

Clinical Evaluation Techniques

Clinical Practice is included in each term and in each subject. The Aim of the Clinical Practice is to integrate Theory, Methods and Application and to practice Nursing based on Scientific Foundations and well-tested experience.

Clinical Practice takes place in Institutional Settings and occurs in different areas to give the student the opportunity to meet individuals of different ages and with different health problems. This also gives the student the chance to come in to contact with the different areas and functions of the nurse and thereby obtain a broad base for his/her future profession.

The assignments- Care Plans and weekly Self-Evaluations- are designed to help the students to describe the Content along with the Practice Skills which we expect them to develop. Care Plans are essentially formal records that reflect a thinking-process and provide students with frequent practice in the Nursing Process. The ability to gather the Health and Social History, describe the Physical Assessments, diagnose Problems, prescribe Treatments and develop an effective Care Plan within time constraints is the key to the practice of Nursing.

Self-Evaluation Skills are believed to promote professional development, enhance self-esteem and develop self-awareness.  Collaborative Evaluation Techniques provide nursing educators with a Framework for teaching students essential Self-Evaluation Skills.

Student Evaluation is based on Clinical Performance, Student Reflection and Self-Evaluation.

On the weekly Self-Evaluation Form, students write their Clinical Objectives prior to the Clinical Lab Sessions. After the Sessions, students then evaluate their performance in terms of meeting their own Objectives. Students may include a narrative describing any exceptional experiences, observations of their personal or academic growth, specific areas of needed improvement or any topic which is relevant to their learning in the Course.

Students assume responsibility for their own Personal and Professional Growth. By identifying specific Experiences in Clinical Practice, students become more aware of those Experiences that are needed to accomplish their own Clinical Objectives. Since the Evaluations may be discussed informally in the Post-Conference Sessions following Clinical Labs, students contribute to their self-growth and the growth of their peers by sharing Learning Experiences. They are more cognizant of their responsibilities as members of a Health Team. The free written self-evaluation provides the instructor with a more personal perspective of the student, allowing the instructor to pinpoint areas of concern not indicated on the form. A formal Mid-Term and Final Evaluation will be conducted by the Clinical Instructor with each assigned student, summarising the student’s Clinical Performance and discussing their strengths and the areas for improvement.

Criteria for Admission to the Midwifery Programme

• Tawjihi 75% or above.

• Completed Secondary Scientific Education.

• Satisfactory outcome of an interview evaluating the candidate's background and suitability for a Nursing Speciality.

• Proficient knowledge of English.