Nursing Learning Outcomes (NLOs)

Upon completion of the Jacksonville State University (JSU) School of Nursing (SON) programs, the student will be competent in and demonstrate critical thinking, therapeutic nursing interventions, effective communication, and professional behavior. 

  1. Critical thinking (CT) reflects skills in reasoning, analysis, evidence-based practice, and decision making relevant to the discipline of nursing. Critical thinking encompasses knowledge, skills, and values from the arts and sciences to provide safe and quality care to diverse populations.  Critical thinking integrates knowledge and skills in leadership, quality improvement, and safety in providing high quality health care. Critical thinking examines the role of financial and regulatory health policies and their effects on health care systems.
  2. Therapeutic Nursing Interventions (TNI) reflect the ability to safely perform theory and/or evidence-based patient centered nursing interventions reflective of professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes. TNI reflect the synthesis of evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes and identify practice issues.
  3. Effective Communication (EC) reflects the students’ interpersonal relationship skills reflective of professional values/attitudes evidenced through effective written, oral, and nonverbal communication, group process, use of information technology, and the ability to adapt communication to needs of the patient/family, colleagues, health care team and situation. Effective Communication reflects synthesis of communication and collaboration as an interprofessional team member to deliver high quality, safe patient centered care. 
  4. Professional behavior (PB).  JSU SON embraces the professional values promulgated by the American Association of Departments of Nursing (AACN) and the American Association of Nursing (ANA) Code of Ethics.  Professional behavior expectations, in both classroom and clinical settings, include respect for all, a primary commitment to the patient, advocacy for the health, safety and rights of patients, responsibility and accountability for one’s own nursing practice, duty to self to maintain integrity, competence and professional growth, ownership of a healthy work/health care environment, contributions to the advancement of the profession, interprofessional collaboration, and the articulation of nursing’s values and the shaping of social policy. 


Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) (Undergraduate)

Based on The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021), graduates of the baccalaureate nursing program will be able to:

  1. Apply nursing knowledge, skills, values, and ways of knowing from the arts, sciences, and other disciplines to cultivate sound clinical judgment and innovative nursing practice.
    (Critical Thinking and Therapeutic Nursing Interventions)
    (Domain 1Knowledge of Practice)

  2. Collaborate within interprofessional teams, patients, families, and communities to optimize the healthcare experience.
    (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, and Effective Communication)
    (Domain 6 Interprofessional Partnerships)

  3. Synthesize evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes and identify practice issues. (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, and Effective Communication) (Domain 4 Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline)

  4. Utilize best practices in information and communication technology that align with professional and regulatory standards to direct data-informed decisions and ensure equitable high-quality patient care.
    (Critical Thinking and Therapeutic Nursing Interventions)
    (Domain 8 Informatics and Healthcare Technologies)

  5. Analyze the complex healthcare system, utilize resources, solutions and evidence-based practices to deliver safe, high-quality, and equitable care to diverse populations (obstetrics, mental health, pediatrics, acute care, etc.).
    (Critical Thinking and Professional Behavior)
    (Domain 7 Systems-Based Practice)

  6. Implement high-quality, person-centered care by integrating holistic, individualized care strategies and values utilizing the nursing process to enhance health outcomes.
    (Effective Communication and Professional Behavior)
    (Domain 2 Person-Centered Care)

  7. Incorporate population health principles throughout the care continuum, utilizing multidisciplinary collaboration to promote health equity and outcomes for diverse populations (obstetrics, mental health, pediatrics, acute care, etc.).
    (Critical Thinking and Therapeutic Nursing Interventions)
    (Domain 3 Population Health)

  8. Emulate core values associated with developing professional identity reflecting nursing’s responsibilities, characteristics, and values.
    (Professionalism Behavior)
    (Domain 9 Professionalism)

  9. Integrate safety and quality improvement principles to enhance quality of care, minimize
    risk, and foster a safe, just healthcare environment.
    (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Effective Communication, and Professional Behavior)
    (Domain 5 Quality and Safety)

  10. Cultivate resilience, lifelong learning, and leadership skills to enhance personal well-
    being and professional excellence in nursing practice.
    (Critical Thinking, Professional Behavior)
    (Domain 10 Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development)


Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) (MSN-Population Health)

Based on The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (AACN, 2021), graduates of the graduate nursing program will be able to:

  1. Evaluate knowledge from advanced population health nursing, the humanities, and sciences to enhance clinical judgment, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice; ensuring that population-based care is comprehensive, innovative, and grounded in both empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks. (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions) (Domain 1)
  2. Employ comprehensive person-centered care strategies to optimize health outcomes for the patient, family, and population through holistic, compassionate, innovative, evidence-based approaches reflecting a deep understanding based on the scientific body of knowledge to address individual needs, values, and preferences. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 2)
  3. Develop a comprehensive understanding of population health principles and their impact on public health, healthcare systems, and community well-being through effective collaboration with academic institutions, public healthcare systems, and community organizations to enhance equitable health outcomes. (Effective Communication, Critical Thinking) (Domain 4)
  4. Appraise research validity and relevance, synthesizing and disseminating findings to improve population health outcomes. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Professional Behavior) (Domain 5)
  5. Support the principles of quality improvement which create a culture of safe, professional nursing practice promoting systemic and equitable health outcomes across diverse populations. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 6)
  6. Cultivate an understanding of the unique roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals for effective collaborative dialogue with stakeholders, interprofessional healthcare team, and the patient, family, and community to enhance the healthcare experience and improve population health outcomes. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Professional Behavior) (Domain 6)
  7. Select leadership skills reflective of the advanced population health nurse sub-roles to effectively manage complex healthcare systems, improve healthcare outcomes, and coordinate resources that enhance safety, ethical practices, equity, and improved access to care for diverse populations. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 7)
  8. Assess information management and care technology systems to optimize communication, manage knowledge, reduce errors, and guide clinical decisions, ensuring alignment with best practices and adherence to professional and regulatory standards. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions) (Domain 8)
  9. Foster a professional identity reflective of advanced nursing characteristics and values, while advocating for and delivering culturally competent, person-centered care which aligns with ethical principles and legal standard. (Professional Behavior, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions) (Domain 9)
  10. Recommend self-care behaviors, reflective practices, and activities cultivating health, resilience, and well-being to facilitate lifelong learning and foster leadership development. (Effective Communication, Critical Thinking) (Domain 10)

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

Based on The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2021), graduates of the DNP program will be able to:

  1. Employ interdisciplinary knowledge from advanced practice nursing and related fields to inform clinical judgment, enhance clinical reasoning, and drive evidence-based practice, ensuring that decision-making is comprehensive, innovative, and grounded in both empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks. (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions) (Domain 1)
  2. Integrate clinical reasoning and judgment to design and implement comprehensive person-centered care strategies, optimizing health outcomes across the lifespan through holistic, compassionate, innovative, evidence-based approaches reflecting a deep understanding based on the scientific body of knowledge to address individual needs, values, and preferences. (Critical Thinking, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 2)
  3. Execute a comprehensive understanding of population health principles and their impact on public health, healthcare systems, and community well-being through effective collaboration with academic institutions, public healthcare systems, and community organizations to enhance equitable health outcomes. (Effective Communication, Professional Behavior) (Domain 3)
  4. Develop skills to evaluate research validity and relevance, synthesizing and disseminating findings to enhance clinical decisions and improve healthcare delivery. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Professional Behavior) (Domain 4)
  5. Defend the principles of quality improvement to drive the creation of a culture rooted in safe, professional nursing practice, leveraging systematic approaches to promote and sustain equitable health outcomes across diverse populations. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 5)
  6. Generate an understanding of the unique roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals for effective collaborative dialogue with stakeholders, interprofessional healthcare team, and patients to enhance decision-making, improve outcomes and the healthcare experience. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Professional Behavior) (Domain 6)
  7. Formulate organizational leadership skills to effectively manage complex healthcare systems, improve healthcare outcomes, and coordinate resources that enhance safety, ethical practices, equity, and improved access to care. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 7)
  8. Incorporate information management and care technology systems to optimize communication, manage knowledge, reduce errors, and guide clinical decisions, ensuring alignment with best practices and adherence to professional and regulatory standards. (Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions) (Domain 8)
  9. Cultivate a professional identity reflective of advanced nursing characteristics and values, while advocating for and delivering culturally competent, person-centered care which aligns with ethical principles and legal standards. (Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, Professional Behavior) (Domain 9)
  10. Design self-care behaviors, reflective practices, and activities cultivating health, resilience, and well-being to facilitate lifelong learning and foster leadership development. (Critical Thinking, Professional Behavior) (Domain 10)