Human persons are perceived to be continually adapting to their environment in order to meet their biological, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. The goal of professional nursing is to foster adaptation and to promote, maintain, and restore optimum health in individuals, families, groups, and communities throughout the life span. A systematic approach utilizing intellectual, interpersonal, and technical competencies frames the delivery of nursing care to clients. Through the roles of clinician, teacher, consultant, manager, and advocate, the professional nurse is able to provide care in a variety of settings. The goal of education within the School of Nursing is to promote the growth of persons toward their full personal and professional potential.
Faculty members view education as a continuous interactive process.
Faculty members believe that nursing knowledge, as well as relevant knowledge from the arts and sciences, is foundational for professional nursing. The courses of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are designed and implemented in ways that include, yet go beyond, what is currently descriptive in nursing practice. An awareness of ethical and spiritual values is an essential component of our educational efforts. Faculty recognize and strive toward meeting their responsibility to add to the existing body of nursing knowledge. We believe that nurses prepared at the graduate level build on these basic competencies, engage in explanatory and critical thinking about clinical practice issues in all settings, delineate nursing knowledge embedded in clinical practice through research activities, and are skillful in applying frameworks, models of care, concepts, and rationales for practice.