The Institute of Nursing, like many other institutions of learning, is a product of its time.

In the 1950’s and for many years after, the country suffered from an acute lack of health manpower, notably nursing manpower. Consequently, the delivery of health services to the population left much to be desired.

And, so, those who chartered the course of the Far Eastern University thought, “Why not offer a nursing course in the University and thereby help alleviate the country’s health problems?”

Thus, the School of Nursing, forerunner of the Institute of Nursing, was born, 50 years ago, in June 1955. The School’s initial offerings were a three-year diploma program, and the Advanced Professional Program (APP), a two-year post-basic course of study which provided for specialization in clinical teaching and public health nursing.

In 1960, the world-wide trend toward increasing professionalization in nursing set off, partly by rapid technological changes, and advances in the health field and the beginning clamor for liberation of women, was catching fire in the country.

Nursing leaders set up high expectations for the professional nurse. Consequently, it was felt that she must have a sound and solid basic educational preparation. The answer was a curriculum where the professional courses would be balanced with adequate offerings on the humanities. This could only be provided by the baccalaureate program.

Thus, in the same year, the five-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was inaugurated at the same time that the School of Nursing became the Institute of Nursing. Five years after in 1955, the IN turned out its first batch of BSN graduates.

A year after this, the APP was replaced by the BSN supplemental course which was meant to remedy the deficiencies of the diploma program and turn GN’s into BSN degree holders. Ten years after, this program had to be terminated because of the need to focus the resources of the IN on the baccalaureate program.

In the meantime, efforts were being made to mold the IN student into a well-rounded person and future nurse.

Curricular, co- and extra-curricular events abounded.

There was a book bank that would strengthen scholarship among students and a loan fund for the deserving students in need.

Socio-cultural presentations were held regularly to provide vehicles for students’ talents in dancing, singing, and elocution. A choir group, the “Singing Nightingales” won honors and prizes in inter-university competitions, while “The Nightingales’ Voice”, a quarterly, served as the mouthpiece of studentry.

Believing in the adage “a sound mind in a sound body,” nursing students regularly organized sports events in the Institute as well as participated in university contests.

The IN student’s leadership was not confined within the IN nor the University campus. Some former students became presidents and vice-presidents of the Philippine nursing Students’ Association.

Commitment to community service was nurtured early. In the summer of 1977, a number of students volunteered for community development work in some Luzon provinces.

The early ‘70’s saw the rise of student militancy and for some time, campuses all over the country teemed with placard-carrying student demonstrators. The IN administration saw the need for more dialogues with the students.

Thus, it may be said that through the years, the IN had not only kept faith with the University’s mission of striving for academic excellence, but had in fact, turned out what may be the competent nurse.

Evidences for this abound. Not only has the IN consistently maintained a remarkably high passing performance, but has also supplied a number of placers in the nursing board examinations.

As professionals, IN graduates occupy important positions in nursing service and education, here and abroad.

All these, however, could not have been possible without the men and women whose vision and dynamism nurtured what began as an inspiration, 50 years ago, into a successful reality.

The Medical Institute Committee that formulated the mechanics of the establishment of the school of nursing as a unit of the University was composed of Dr. Nicanor Reyes, Jr., Dr. Lauro Panganiban, Dr. Alejandro Roces and
Dr. Ricardo Alfonso.

On the other hand, the pioneer administrators of the school, and later, the Institute of Nursing, were Mrs. Teofista G. Villarica, the first principal of the School of Nursing; Mrs. Lucrecia Llanera, director of the Advance Professionall Program; Mrs. Polly Ontimare, for a while acting principal of the School and Mrs. Felicidad Elegado, first dean of the Institute of Nursing.

Always striving for relevance in a fast-changing world, the Institute offered a program of study designed to turn out graduates who were not only competent and committed professionals but upright citizens as well. At the same time, there has been the unwavering pursuit of academic excellence that is the hallmark of the University.

The curriculum and the strategies for teaching and learning were continuously examined and modified, if necessary to conform to these needs. Because of the socio-economic and political conditions and the future goals of the country, the then Ministry of Education and Culture has sounded out the call for nursing educational institutions to adopt a community oriented curriculum which will emphasize health more than illness and which will focus on the total community rather than just an agency in it, the hospital.

The Institute was one of those at the forefront of this innovative move.

In consonance with this, community health nursing concepts have been integrated into the different courses throughout the four levels, while in the clinical practice, students go to the community much earlier and oftener and spend more time in the community than before.

Less time was spent in the hospital than before as more and more community agencies became part of the student’s itinerary.

To further affirm the commitment to community orientation, the Institute took a significant step – the “adoption” of a community – zone 78 in Leveriza, Malate, Manila which became the locus for all community health nursing clinical experiences for students.

There has been a determined effort to make IN graduate research-oriented through a course on the fundamentals of research reinforced by a prescribed clinical experience on the subject.

Likewise, the IN graduate’s competence for academic teaching was strengthened through a period of actual clinical teaching with lower level students as subjects.

Envisioning an emerging leadership role for the professional nurse not only among her peers but in the health team and other groups as well, a course on the theory and practice of general management with a corresponding clinical experience, has replaced the old ward management course which was limited to nursing situations in the hospital setting.

Furthermore, by adopting strategies in teaching such as like independent study, problem solving and the like, which develop analytical thinking, in place of the traditional, mostly spoon-feeding method, the student, early in his/her student life, was set on a course toward self direction and independence.

But, as it was in the past, the Institute did not only emphasize the academic aspect of student life. Provisions were also made for the student’s emotional and psychological welfare through a Guidance and Counseling Office established in 1973, while things of the spirit were taken cared of through spiritual retreats, Bible study sessions and other similar activities.

Spearheading these innovations has been a dynamic administration backed by a faculty motivated and equipped by a sound program of continuing education.

Seminars and conferences and the like have helped promote personal and professional growth. Through these, faculty and administrator alike have been kept up-to-date with current and emerging trends in nursing and education apart from affording them a chance to share their knowledge and expertise with others.

The advent of the decade of the ‘80’s ushered in nationwide innovations in nursing education.

Heeding the clamor, mostly of the parents of students, the 5- year course of study for the Baccalaureate program was reduced to four years. The main reason was economic.

In 1980, the IN graduated the last batch of the 5-year program (‘80-A) and the first batch of the 4-year program (‘80B). From then on, until the present, the baccalaureate nursing program has remained a four-year program.

Efforts now started to focus on what has come to be considered as a major innovation in nursing education in the Philippines – transforming the nursing education into a competency-based community-oriented one.

The traditional nursing curriculum was predominantly hospital- based and disease-oriented. In the classroom, students studied diseases and went to the hospital for their clinical experience taking care of patients (sick people).

The competency based curriculum equipped the students with the necessary A, K and S to be able to take care of clients (individuals, family and community) in health promotion and disease prevention as well as health restoration and rehabilitation.

Furthermore, the new or revised curriculum was designed to end compartmentalization and fragmentation in learning with the integration of various professional courses such as Fundamentals of Nursing, Maternal and Child Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Comminity Health Nursing into their designation as N101, all the way to N106.

In the Institute, concepts of biostatistics, epidemiology, toxicology, community organization, occupational health management and leadership were infused while a new course, Principles and Strategies of Health Education was introduced. A separated learning experience in nursing research was also added.

Applications of the principles and strategies learned in the classroom were through related learning experiences in hypothetical or simulated environment in the skills laboratory or actual conditions of health, illness or health problems in the agencies, homes, school, work places, community and the hospital.

The Institute’s Class ’88 was the first class to graduate under the revised BSN curriculum. Meanwhile, the strengthening and enrichment of the competency based and community oriented curriculum continued.

In 1990, the community immersion program was started. It continues up to the present with even the third year level students going on immersion for family care, maternal and child care, communicable disease nursing and epidemiology. Occupational health nursing has also become part of the RLE program.
Towards the development of the nursing students as well rounded persons, the co and extra-curricular aspects of student life were given attention. The INSC organized and sponsored activities for this purpose and also participated in similar endeavors, off- campus.

The INSC started publication of The Lamp, to serve as medium of students’ thoughts, feelings and ideas in 1992.

The year nineteen ninety three was an auspicious one for the Institute. Class 1993 registered a 100% passing rate in nursing board with several examinees placing in the so called “top ten”. It bettered the performance of class ’92 which had 1 examinee on “conditional” status. The Class of 1992 had also two board placers in the top ten.

In 1994, the Board of Nursing implemented the Integrated Comprehensive Nursing Licensure Examination (ICNLE), doing away with the compartmentalized, fragmented test system. The examination questions were now clustered as Health Promotion/Disease prevention (Set A); Curative (Sets B and C) and Rehabilitative (Set C). Class ’94 hurdled it with flying colors, also registering a 100% passing rate.

In the latter part of the decade, the IN’s pre-occupations were accreditation and the implementation of the Civic Welfare Service (CWS) course and the new Associate in Health Education (AHSE) program. The Institute took the lead in the university-wide implementation of the Civic Welfare Service (CWS) course focusing on Disaster Health Management. Later, it was to replace the ROTC requirements for the male students of the university. The CWS course is the forerunner of the present National Science Training Program (NSTP).

Accreditation serves to upgrade and or affirm the standards of education of an educational institution. The IN passed the first level of accreditation with the Philippine Accreditors’ Association of Schools and Universities (PAASCU) in 1997, and second level of accreditation in 2000. This was again affirmed in 2005 with the approval of second level re-accreditation.

In 1999, the Institute implemented the CHED mandated AHSE program, a 2 year course of study common to all health disciplines. AHSE broadens the health foundation and community orientation of the BSN curriculum with starting courses on health such as Primary Health Care I and II, Health Ethics, Science, Technology and Society (STS) and Biostatistics. Class 2002 is the first AHSE-BSN graduate of the Institute of Nursing.

Source: http://www.feunaf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=34&showall=1

 

October 3rd, 2008 by relloydlopezrn FEU-IN BSN Graduate Batch 2005 A Registered Nurse of the Republic of the Philippines