Collaboration Between Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China and Thomas University, Georgia , USA

(1) Mission

The mission of the RN-BSN program is to educate registered nurses for enhanced professional nursing practice in a variety of health care settings and to challenge them to continued personal and professional growth. (Only for Chinese students. )

(2) Philosophy

We believe that nursing is a profession that utilizes a holistic, safe, effective, caring and culturally competent approach to promote optimal health potential of individuals, families, groups and communities. Utilizing the roles of health care provider, teacher, advocate, collaborator, leader and member of the profession the nurse applies evidence-based research to the care of individuals, families, groups and communities. We believe that the following are essential to the practice of baccalaureate level nursing:

·                                 ●  Liberal education including courses in the humanities.

·                                 ●  Professional values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, social justice, caring,

culturally

sensitive care, and respect for diversity.

·                                 ●  Core competencies of critical thinking, communication, assessment and technical skills.

·                                 ●  Core knowledge including health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention, illness and disease

management, technology in health care delivery and information, ethics, human diversity, globalization of health care, health care systems and policy, theory and research leading to evidence-based practice.

·                                 ●  Role development as provider / designer, teacher / advocate / collaborator, leader / manager / coordinator of care, and member of the profession of nursing.

We believe that nursing education is a transformational process that is collaborative, interdisciplinary and interactive in nature. Education includes prior learning and experiences that influence responses to new knowledge. Built on research and theory, education is not only formal instruction but self-teaching and incidental learning.

We believe that the faculty facilitates the learning process by creating a learning environment that fosters reflection, creative/critical thinking, open communication, caring and an active interchange of ideas and technological competence. Faculty assists students to attain goals by utilizing a variety of teaching strategies identified to meet the learning needs of students. We believe that the development of a caring, collaborative faculty-student relationship fosters success in students.    

(3) Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the RN-BSN program graduates should be able to:
1. Apply critical thinking in a variety of health care settings/complex situations.
2. Demonstrate commitment to life-long learning.
3. Apply evidence-based practice to the nursing care of individuals, families and communities. 4. Advocate for social justice in health care.
5. Assume leadership roles in health care.
6. Apply health promotion principles for the optimal health potential of individuals, families and communities.

(4) Credit Requirements

All coursework is based on the Thomas University curriculum regulated by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Thomas University. Ten (10) courses, totaling 30 credits, are taught in English by Thomas University faculty on location at each Chinese Partner University. The remaining 90 credits are completed with the Chinese Partner University and accepted as articulated transfer credit by Thomas University, observing the regulations of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The 30 credits of Thomas University coursework and the 90 credits of Chinese Partner University coursework must follow exactly those courses as listed in the four year Thomas University China Programs RN-BSN Curriculum Template as agreed to by Thomas University and the Chinese Partner Universities.

All Thomas University students are required to complete a General Education curriculum, in combination with their major requirements and elective courses. The General Education curriculum encourages the development of intellectual skills and understanding of multiple approaches to knowledge fundamental to a modern college education with its foundation on the liberal arts disciplines. In addition, students must also pass an English proficiency examination and pay all required fees to be eligible to obtain their degrees.