Nursing Practicum Setting

My practicum setting is an associate degree nursing program, Joliet Junior College in Joliet Illinois, one of the oldest community colleges in Illinois. The mission of the nursing school is to offer students a reasonable, accessible quality education towards a lifelong career in the nursing profession while serving the diverse population living within our community (Joliet Junior College [JJC], n.d.). In addition, the nursing school’s philosophy is to prepare students to enter into the growing healthcare system as proficient, safe general practitioners, and the training is centered on four major elements: client, environment, health and nursing (JJC, n.d). In keeping with the mission and philosophy, the school conceptual framework is to provide a fundamental structure for the practical nurse and the registered nurse curricula by using three major theories on which …show more content…
Joliet Junior College nursing program is very competitive and combines traditional classroom experiences, in-class high-fidelity simulations, and online courses with clinical experiences in health facilities throughout the community (Joliet Junior College [JJC], 2016). As a result, the application process for entry into the program is based on a number of requirements. Applicants are scored and ranked based on ATI Test for Essential Academic Skill (TEAS) composite and reading Score, GPA, and the number of pre-requisites/general education classes completed (JJC, 2016). Students are required to have basic knowledge of patient care before starting clinical rotation. Moreover, first semester students are exposed to six weeks of fundamentals of nursing theory, before the clinical rotation. In addition, at the end of the second semester, students are encouraged to take the LPN boards to get some exposure to NCLEX type of question, in addition to the school’s scheduled ATI NCLEX style exams throughout the program at specific