Faculty/Program Webpages
Nursing: Mission & Philosophy - P.N.
Mission
The Minnesota West Practical Nursing Programs provide nursing education using a variety of delivery methods to a diverse population with the goal of preparing graduates who practice safe, entry-level practical nursing care.
Philosophy
The Practical Nursing Program believes that Practical Nursing (PN) is grounded in the biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual sciences. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) care for diverse individuals and families in a variety of inpatient and community-based settings by providing safe, culturally sensitive, individualized patient/relationship centered care and by participating as a member of the health care team.
LPNs recognize that teamwork and interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals is critical to delivering safe, quality patient care. The ability to provide safe, patient-centered care is dependent on effectively utilizing information technology and informatics in the healthcare setting. Ongoing quality improvement activities are performed in concert with other members of the health care team. Implementing established evidence–based care is essential to the delivery of quality, safe, patient-centered care.
Professional values guide interactions with individuals, families, and the health care team. LPNs demonstrate professional behaviors by exhibiting accountability for ones actions, meeting the health care needs of patients, and assuming legal responsibility for the care provided. LPNs demonstrate professional identity by upholding a commitment to the public and by adhering to an established code of ethics.
The major roles of the LPN include provider of nursing care and member of the nursing profession. As providers of care, LPNs contribute to the promotion of wellness, use nursing judgment in the identification of current and emerging patient problems, and function as advocates for individuals and families. LPNs help to manage patient care through the use of established protocols and evidence-based practices incorporating the nursing process and caring as essential tools. In addition, LPNs demonstrate leadership by guiding and directing other LPNs and unlicensed assistive personnel to provide safe, quality patient care within the state’s scope of practice. LPNs provide selected patient education using established protocols and reinforce education provided by other members of the health care team to achieve positive clinical outcomes.
The nursing program believes that students graduating from Minnesota West Community and Technical College’s Practical Nursing Program must be ready to practice in a complex and changing clinical environment. The program measures eight student learning outcomes with identified competencies and apprenticeships by which the student must successfully complete to demonstrate proficiency in the role as a graduate of this PN program. From gradual leveling and evaluation in the didactic, lab, and clinical courses, students grow knowledge, skills, and values/attitudes to prepare for the LPN scope of practice. The student is given the opportunity to reflect on the importance of patient/relationship centered care, teamwork and collaboration, leadership skills, quality improvement, safety, informatics/technology, professional identify/behaviors, and nursing judgment/evidence based care within individual practice as a future LPN.
12/2023