Department of Nursing
Mission & Philosophy
Mission
The mission of the Department of Nursing is the enrichment and transmission of nursing science as a discipline and its application to promote the health and well being of individuals, families, and communities. The faculty pursues this mission through excellence in teaching as the primary focus of scholarship; academic nursing practice that serves vulnerable populations, and research that has the potential to enhance nursing knowledge, scientific inquiry, teaching and global health. The Department maintains a commitment to serving persons with diverse talents, qualities, interests, and socio-economic backgrounds in its educational programs and professional practice. It seeks to provide innovative, inquiry-based education that anticipates the rapid pace of change in health promotion and illness care.
Philosophy
The faculty of the Department of Nursing believes that nursing is a learned profession with a distinct science and an art. The nurse studies diverse human and environmental patterns of health behavior as they reveal ongoing manifestations of health, wellness, and illness for individuals, families, and communities. The nurse uses this knowledge to make judgments about how best to support wellness in health and illness, and to apply the nursing arts to promote and maintain health and human dignity for the betterment of the community and society.
A professional level of nursing practice is best achieved through master’s degree education in nursing and requires appropriate licensure through examination (NCLEX-RN). Advanced practice nursing education integrates specialization into the doctoral degree curriculum or at the post-master's level providing eligibility for professional certification as a nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner; or health care leader in administration or the academy.
Revised June 18, 2008
