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A Message from the Faculty

Welcome to the virtual information site for the Associate Degree in Nursing Program at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.  Use it to explore our programs of study, requirements for admission, and descriptions of the courses we offer.  There is also a page with contact information for faculty and staff.  Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or concerns.

Our program is a two-year course of study, approved by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and fully accredited by the National League for Nursing (NLN), leading to an associate of applied science degree (A.A.S.) in nursing.  After graduation from the program, the student is educationally prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing examination in the state of Texas.

The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) is the entity within the National League for Nursing that is responsible for the accreditation of nursing education schools and programs. 

National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission

16 Broadway

New York, New York 10014

Telephone (800) 669-9656 Extension 153

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

Associate Degree Nursing Program 

PHILOSOPHY 

In keeping with the role and mission, and the philosophy statement of The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, we, the faculty of the Associate Degree Nursing Program, believe that: 

Education is an interactive process involving teaching, learning and critical thinking. The faculty believes that learning is a dynamic life-long process of change in which the learner acquires knowledge, skills and attitudes by means of study, practice and experience.  The faculty further believes that the teaching-learning process is based on adult learning principles that include collaborative problem solving bi-directional relationship between the learner and instructor that empowers the student to cope with change and assume the responsibility for his/her own learning.  Implicit within the educational process is the need for formative and summative evaluation of outcomes. 

Nursing education is a curriculum driven program of learning activities designed by the faculty through which the nursing student acquires the cognitive, affective, psycho-motor, and critical thinking/ problem solving skills necessary to perform safe nursing care in a variety of structured health care settings.  The emphasis of the curriculum is the interrelationship between the nurse’s caring role as a provider, coordinator and member of the profession and the scientific knowledge needed to carry out that role.  The faculty believe that nursing education is an eclectic set of organizing ideas that incorporates nursing theories and educational theories, which have a foundation in the natural, social, humanistic, and behavioral sciences with a major emphasis on critical thinking, communication, therapeutic interventions, caring, cultural diversity and ethical behavior.  The learning experiences are designed, implemented and evaluated by the faculty in order to prepare the graduates to function in acute care and long-term care, as well as in community-based health care settings.  In keeping with the educational, professional, ethical and legal standards of nursing, the faculty believes that nurses must have the flexibility to function in various health care systems while remaining sensitive to clients/families who are culturally, racially and ethnically diverse. 

The faculty believes that health is a condition of physical, mental, and social well-being, and the absence of disease or other abnormal condition.  Health is not a static condition; it is constant change and adaptation to stress resulting in homeostasis.  Further, the faculty believes that clients are biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual beings who have basic human needs and unique characteristics; the various components of the individual interact throughout the life span.  The clients/families strive to change and adapt in order to maintain homeostasis through continual interactions between the internal and external environments as they progress through the life span.  The response to this dynamic interaction is what determines the clients’ status on the wellness-illness continuum and will dictate the focus of the nurses’ interaction with the clients.  Client centered nursing care must incorporate the beliefs, practices and behaviors of the clients and their families.

The faculty believes that nursing is an art and a science that provides service based on research and education.  Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems within established legal and ethical parameters.  Caring is reflected in the nurses’ response to the needs of the clients and their families.  Nursing practice is based on the nursing process, which requires assessment, critical thinking, decision-making, implementation and evaluation.  The nurse in his/her role as provider, coordinator of care and member of the profession focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, health restoration, health maintenance, and client advocacy.  Nursing practice collaborates with the health care team to coordinate human, material and technical resources in providing quality care for a group of clients and their families in a variety of structured health care settings.   

The faculty believes that the education of nurses for practice within the profession implies a dedication and commitment to inculcate and maintain the standards established by the profession.

MISSION

 In accordance with the Statements of Purpose of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, the philosophy of the Associate Degree Nursing Program, and the Standards of Professional Nursing Practice, the two-year curriculum is designed to prepare students for beginning staff-level positions as a graduate nurse.  Graduates of this program receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree and are eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination to become registered nurses.  Inherent in this education is the preparation of nurses to practice in present and future settings, since nursing is ever changing to meet the health needs of society.

For questions about nursing and to help you decide whether or not a career in nursing is right for you, we invite you to visit:

Discover Nursing:  find the basics on careers in nursing, and find educational programs and scholarships.  Site sponsored by Johnson and Johnson.

"Nursing: The Ultimate Adventure":  a list of links to career resources sponsored by the National Student Nurses Association.

Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow:  click on Career Info to find answers to your frequently asked questions!

Minority Nurse:  click on Featured Stories for articles on men, varied ethnic and cultural groups, non-traditional students, and persons with disabilities, in nursing.

We are available to help you with your career choice.  Please do not hesitate to contact us.  The world of professional nursing is waiting for you!

The ADN Faculty