Mission and Learning Outcomes

Nursing Program Mission 

The mission of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program at Bay State College is to support its students, the nursing profession, and the health of the people of the City of Boston and surrounding communities. The mission of the School of Nursing is congruent with the mission of Bay State College. 

Nursing students will receive a quality education through a supportive, nurturing learning environment leading to eligibility to seek licensure as a registered nurse and the ability to progress to baccalaureate level nursing education. 

Graduates will be prepared to sit for the national examination leading to licensure in nursing and for safe, ethical, entry level practice as registered nurses. They will be ready to enter the profession in a diversity of roles and settings to meet current healthcare needs. 

Nursing Program Learning Outcomes 

Graduates of the Bay State College Associate Degree in nursing program will possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to provide safe and effective care to their patients and participate in improving the quality and safety of healthcare. The outcome measures are informed by the Nurse of the Future Core Competencies as developed by Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing Initiative (2010). 

Students demonstrate achievement of program outcomes by satisfactory completion of a comprehensive portfolio addressing each program outcome in NUR217 Nursing Trends; and by achieving a final grade of 80 or higher in NUR220 Medical-Surgical Nursing ll. The portfolio will be evaluated by nursing faculty using a rubric provided to students. 

1. Patient-centered Care 

Recognizes the patient, or designee, as a full partner in providing safe and effective care in a compassionate and culturally appropriate manner conveying respect for the patient’s preferences, values, and needs. 

  • Provides priority-based nursing care to individuals, families, and groups through independent and collaborative application of the nursing process 
  • Engages in ongoing assessment, implementation and evaluation of a plan of care that is consistent with the patient’s values, preferences, decisional capacity, and expressed needs 
  • Provides holistic care that addresses the needs of diverse populations across the life span 

2. Teamwork and Collaboration 

Functions effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making to achieve quality patient care. 

  • Acts with integrity, consistency, and respect for differing views 
  • Functions competently within scope of practice as a member of the health care team 
  • Integrates the contributions of others in assisting patient/family to achieve health goals 

3. Evidence-based Practice 

Integrates best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for the delivery of optimal health care. 

  • Bases care on best current evidence, patient values, and clinical expertise 
  • Values the need for continuous improvement in clinical practice based on new knowledge 
  • Differentiates clinical opinion from research and evidence summaries 

4. Quality Improvement 

Recognizes that quality improvement is an essential part of nursing. 

  • Utilizes a standardized approach to support quality patient care 
  • Describes approaches for improving processes and outcomes of care 
  • Seeks information about quality improvement from regulatory and local/national sources to inform nursing practice 

5. Safety 

Minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. 

  • Demonstrates effective use of technology and standardized practices that support safe practice 
  • Exhibits strategies at the individual and systems levels to reduce risk of harm to self and others 
  • Follows communication practices to minimize risks associated with transfers between providers during transitions in care delivery. 

6. Informatics 

Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. 

  • Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his/her own professional knowledge base 
  • Applies technology and information management tools to support safe processes of care and evaluate impact on patient outcomes 
  • Uses sources of data that relate to contemporary standards of practice and patient care 
  • Utilizes appropriate technologies in the process of assessing and monitoring patients