Nursing and Midwifery

Nursing education at the Basic Nursing and Midwifery level, within the Owerri North Community School System, supports the development of essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to perform effectively in an entry-level Nurse or Midwife role. The curriculum is conceptually based and founded on principles of adult and collaborative learning. Basic assumptions include self-direction, utilizing adult experience, and problem / activity-centered learning. (Rachel, 2002)

The curriculum incorporates evidence-based nursing theory and practice, general education, and the sciences in an environment conducive to learning. The conceptual design of the program identifies key elements that shape the educational approach—namely, health, the environment, achievement of potential, and overall well-being. This model is supported by an organizing framework centered around the individual, the healthcare system, and the discipline of nursing science. These components guide both the curriculum and the learner’s progression through increasingly complex concepts.

Students enrolled in the Midwifery Program at KCNS are given opportunities to develop essential critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through meaningful academic and clinical experiences. Education is recognized as an ongoing process that brings about change in behavior and understanding, especially when learners are actively engaged, challenged, and motivated to deepen their knowledge.

At KCNS, teaching and learning are collaborative processes—an exchange between instructor and student. Faculty members are responsible for creating and evaluating instructional strategies that support students in mastering the competencies required for entry into nursing and midwifery practice. The program upholds the belief that students must take an active role in their education by engaging fully with both theoretical content and hands-on application to build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to deliver informed, individualized care. The nursing student is responsible for actively participating in learning experiences and developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide quality individual-centered nursing care.

Graduates of the Nursing and Midwifery Program at Kings College of Nursing Sciences are prepared to function beyond entry-level practice, delivering care that meets the health needs of individuals across all stages of life. The role of the nurse or midwife is grounded in evidence-based clinical practice and involves providing care in structured environments for both individuals and groups.

Within the professional setting, nurses and midwives operate under the supervision of the Director of Nursing and other authorized healthcare providers, in accordance with state and federal regulations. As outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the scope of practice for Registered Nurses (RN) and Registered Midwives includes accepting appropriate assignments and actively participating in the full continuum of care—assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient outcomes.

Graduates are expected to demonstrate the competencies established by the Council to deliver effective care in diverse, evolving healthcare environments. The program also encourages graduates to continue developing professionally through lifelong learning and reflective practice.

Conceptual Framework:
The curriculum is guided by a conceptual model designed to support instructional delivery and establish meaningful connections for the learner. To gain a full understanding of the program, students must master each foundational component: the individual, the healthcare system, and nursing. These domains form the basis for organizing course content and guiding student learning from foundational to more advanced levels. This structured approach helps learners build a comprehensive understanding of nursing practice while preparing them for professional responsibility in clinical settings.

• Human Flourishing: Support and uphold the dignity, integrity, and autonomy of patients, colleagues, and oneself. Foster personal development and encourage self-determination within the healthcare environment.
• Nursing Judgment: Apply sound reasoning to justify clinical decisions and actions that support safe, effective care. Promote patient well-being within the context of individual and family dynamics.
• Professional Identity: Reflect on personal strengths and core values to understand how they shape your identity as a nurse. Recognize your impact and responsibility within collaborative healthcare teams.
• Spirit of Inquiry: Continuously question the reasoning behind nursing practices by examining research, clinical evidence, tradition, and individual preferences. The six updated integrating concepts are:
  • Safety: Safety is the foundation upon which all other aspects of quality care are built (NLN, 2010, p. 25). A nurse who practices safely minimizes the risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance (Cronenwett et al., 2007). Safe practice includes the individual’s purposeful use of knowledge to provide safe care in a deliberate, skillful, and informed way.
  • Quality: The Institute of Medicine defines quality as the degree to which health services to individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge (IOM, 2001). Quality is operationalized from an individual, unit, and systems perspective (NLN, 2010).
  • Team/collaboration: To function effectively within nursing and the interprofessional team is critical to effective and safe nursing practice. Team/collaboration refers to fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care (NLN, 2010).
  • Relationship-Centered Care: Core to nursing practice, relationship-centered care includes caring (therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and communities) and professional relationships with members of the interprofessional team (NLN, 2010). It integrates and reflects respect for the dignity and uniqueness of others, valuing diversity, integrity, mutual trust, civility, self-determination, and regard for personal preferences and desires.
  • Systems-Based Care: Nurses practice in systems of care to achieve health care goals. Nurses must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.
  • Personal/Professional Development: This refers to the individual’s formation within a set of recognized responsibilities. It includes the notion of good practice, boundaries of practice, and professional identity formation (NLN, 2010). It also includes knowledge and attitudes derived from self-understanding and empathy, ethical questions and choices that are gleaned from a situation, awareness of patient needs, and contextual knowledge. These core concepts are critical to a transformed curriculum that is closely aligned with current workforce trends. The framework acknowledges these integrating concepts as equally important.

The program emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice across a wide range of nursing responsibilities, with a focus on direct patient care in relatively stable clinical situations. Alongside nursing instruction, students complete related general education courses to support their overall academic foundation. Classroom instruction is delivered across both the main and satellite campuses.

Practical training is integrated through clinical courses that run concurrently with theoretical instruction and are conducted under direct faculty supervision. These clinical experiences are carried out in hospitals, maternity centers, community health clinics, and various other healthcare settings.

The curriculum builds on key domains, including healthcare systems, nursing practice, and the holistic care of individuals. Instruction is provided within a framework that promotes safe, person-centered care, active collaboration within interdisciplinary teams, and the integration of evidence-based practice, continuous quality improvement, and healthcare informatics.