The teaching and learning process involves a mutual partnership between students and faculty to develop a knowledge base in the liberal arts, sciences, and the discipline of nursing. This partnership exists to promote critical thinking, ethical decision making and lifelong learning. Theory and skills learned in the classroom setting are applied in community based settings. Faculty model the professional nursing role through teaching, scholarly professional contributions, community service and practice. Students are encouraged to adopt a professional identity and professional values.
Clients can be individuals across the lifespan, families, aggregates, communities and populations.
Clients are diverse in such variables as age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, race, religion, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, values, and functional ability level. There is constant interaction between the client and environment. Environment refers to all internal and external conditions, circumstances, and influences that interact and affect the client's holistic health. As part of the client's environment, the professional nurse assists with the client's attainment of holistic health and promotes safety. Holistic health, a state of wholeness and a process of becoming increasingly integrated, is associated with evolving awareness of self and enhanced quality of life.