History of the Hospital and School of Nursing

Trinity Health System School of Nursing was established in 1996 as a result of an affiliation between Ohio Valley Hospital and St. John Medical Center. Trinity Health System and Trinity Health System School of Nursing are member facilities of the Franciscan Services Corporation, a Catholic organization associated with the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio.

Trinity Health System is owned and operated by The Franciscan Service Corporation. The Board of Trustees of Trinity Health System is the governing body of Trinity Medical Centers East and West, subsidiary organizations and affiliated operations.  The School of Nursing is a department of Trinity Medical Center East.

The School was originally founded in 1912 as the Ohio Valley Hospital School of Nursing. Previously known as the Training School for Women Nurses, the school graduated its first class of three nurses in 1915.  Since that time over 2000 nurses have been awarded the distinctive pin of the Ohio Valley Hospital/Trinity Health System School of Nursing.  Since it's inception, the School has maintained a distinguished record of achievement in education and in meeting the healthcare needs of the community.

In 1943 the School was approved for participation in the United States Cadet Nurse Program.  In 1967, the School admitted its first male student and in 1969, married students were eligible for admission.

From 1954 to 1969 the School  was affiliated with Bethany College for science courses. In 1969, a cooperative relationship was established with Ohio University for the instruction of all non-nursing courses and college credit. From 1974 to1986, the School was in affiliation with the University of Steubenville. Currently, the School is affiliated with Jefferson Community College (JCC) for instruction of all non-nursing courses.

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Accreditations and Affiliations

The Trinity Health System School of Nursing is a 24-month diploma program, is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, (initial program accreditation June, 1965) and is approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing. The School of Nursing is certified by the Ohio Board of Regents, an affiliate of the Helene Fuld Health Trust, and is approved by the Ohio Department of Education for Veterans’ Administration Benefits.

The School is affiliated with two modern progressive medical centers; Trinity Medical Center East and Trinity Medical Center West, that provide student clinical learning experiences in both out-patient and in-patient acute/medical surgical care, extended-care, rehabilitative care, and health clinic settings.  Trinity Medical Center East/West are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations and hold institutional membership in the Ohio Hospital Association and the Voluntary Hospital Association of America.

Jefferson Community College (JCC) is an accredited co-educational institution. The college was chartered for operation in 1966 as a public college by the Ohio Board of Regents. Students receive full credit for college courses through this affiliation. Classes are taught by JCC faculty at the School of Nursing campus.

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Philosophy

The philosophy of the Trinity Health System School of Nursing is reflective of faculty beliefs and is in accord with the mission of the Trinity Health System. The School of Nursing fulfills its responsibility to society by preparing a professional nurse who practices safely and ethically within the hospital or other health care settings.

Nursing, as an applied art and science, is based on a specialized body of knowledge including the natural and behavioral sciences. As a dynamic, multi-dimensional health profession, nursing utilizes judgment and skill in providing service to individuals, families and society. The practice of nursing is guided by current legal, ethical and professional standards.

The goal of nursing is to assist individuals and families in achieving their optimum level of health. Nursing utilizes the principles of natural and behavioral sciences as a foundation for practice. Effective communication and application of the nursing process are utilized to provide comprehensive nursing care. To enhance delivery of care, nursing adapts health teaching to meet the needs of individuals and families, collaborates with members of the health team, fosters support systems, promotes community resources, and maintains current legal and ethical standards in all aspects of nursing care.

The individual is a unique, complex being comprised of biological, psychological, spiritual, and social entities, whose relationship with the environment is continuous and interactive. The individual's environment is comprised of internal and external components. The internal environment includes the interacting biological, spiritual, and psychological entities. The external environment consists of society as it interacts with the individual's social entities. Society is comprised of individuals, families and communities sharing common goals. Society possesses structure, values and beliefs which influence individual behavior. Society adapts as knowledge, resources and technology change.

Health is a dynamic state of optimal wellness, influenced by the individual's environment. Health exists in the presence and absence of illness. Each individual has the potential to achieve an optimal level of health and the right to make decisions about health care.

Education is a life-long, dynamic, participative process through which the learner's potential is actualized. Education provides a means by which individuals expand knowledge and accomplish goals. The educational process prepares the learner to assume increasing responsibility and self-direction for continued personal and professional growth.

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge and skills, is evidenced by changes in behavior, and progresses from simple to complex. Learning occurs best in an open, stimulating environment where the learner and the educator are mutually responsible for the learning process.

The School fulfills its responsibility to the student by providing an educational environment that facilitates the learning process. The faculty guides the learning process and provides an environment that encourages critical thinking and systematic inquiry. The student assumes responsibility for active participation in the learning process.

The faculty is responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating the student's learning experiences according to the mission/vision/core values and quality principles/objectives of the program. The administration, faculty and staff endeavor to provide competent role models and student services to meet the needs of the student.

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Mission Statement

The purpose of the Trinity Health System School of Nursing is to prepare a beginning professional nurse. The program assists individuals to achieve curriculum outcomes and demonstrate professional competencies necessary to practice in a variety of health care settings and incorporates the core values of Trinity Health System.

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Vision

To assist students to achieve educational outcomes which prepare them to meet the holistic health care needs of individuals, families, and communities throughout the life span.

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Core Values and Quality Principles

Reverence

We believe the individual is a unique, complex being comprised of biological, psychological, spiritual, and social entities.

We believe each individual has the potential to achieve an optimal level of health and the right to make decisions about health care.

Service

We believe that education is a life-long, dynamic, participative process through which the learner's potential is actualized.

We believe that learning occurs best in an open, stimulating environment where the learner and educator are mutually responsible for the learning process.

We believe the educational process prepares the learner to assume increasing responsibility and self-direction for continued personal and professional growth.

We believe that nursing utilizes judgment and skill in providing service to individuals, families, and society and is guided by current legal, ethical and professional standards.

Stewardship

We endeavor to provide competent role models and student services to meet the needs of the student.

We fulfill our responsibility to the student by providing an educational environment that facilitates the learning process in an environment that encourages critical thinking and systematic inquiry.

We value the concepts of health teaching, support systems, community resources, health team, and legal and ethical standards.

HIPAA COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

Trinity Health System and Trinity Health System School of Nursing are in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, specifically the patient privacy portion of this law, which became effective on April 14, 2003. Every Employee and Student of Trinity Health System School of Nursing has participated in the mandatory HIPAA Compliance Program offered by Trinity Health System. Every Trinity Nursing Student signs a Trinity Health System Non Disclosure Acknowledgement regarding confidentiality and privacy.

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Unifying Concepts of Learning

  1. Communication
  2. Health team
  3. Community resources  
  4. Nursing process
  5. Scientific base for nursing practice
  6. Patient/client and family
  7. Health teaching
  8. Legal and ethical standards of nursing practice

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Curriculum Outcomes

The student will:

  • Incorporate all modes of communication in relationships with patients, clients, families, and others.
  • Collaborate with the health team to meet the needs of patients, clients and families.
  • Promote the utilization of community resources by patients, clients, and families.
  • Utilize the nursing process to meet the comprehensive needs of patients, clients, and families.
  • Correlate principles of natural and behavioral sciences as the foundation of nursing practice.
  • Foster support systems of patients, clients, and families.
  • Adapt health teaching in promoting quality health care.
  • Maintain current legal and ethical standards in all aspects of nursing practice.

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