Professional nurses are prepared to assume leadership positions in the advanced practice roles of nurse educator, administrator of nursing services, and family nurse practitioner. Within these roles, students are challenged to synthesize advanced knowledge of phenomena and to promote the health of clients. Particular emphasis is placed on meeting the health needs of minority and underserved clilents. Graduate students are encouraged to engage in creative activities and experiences that facilitate identification of new approaches for professional practice and to provide solutions to nursing problems. Nursing is integral to the health care delivery system.
Nursing is a scientific discipline with academic and practice components.
The academic component focuses on continuing scientific inquiry into nursing theory and practice with the goals of revising and refining knowledge and solving nursing problems. The practice component assists client systems to attain optimal wellness. Nursing practice occurs in a variety of settings where the nursing and client systems interact. Nurses implement a theory based process using primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention strategies to attain mutually determined outcomes. The professional nurse is concerned with individual differences that define health and influence the ability to access the health care system.