For learning to be meaningful it must be based on the ability to evaluate and apply ideas, skills, and values as they relate to self, others, and environmental circumstances. The faculty believes that students also acquire valuable knowledge through experiential learning and, that this knowledge, when comparable to a planned course of study, can be validated. The faculty believes that society is composed of diverse but interdependent groups, and that all people have inherent worth and dignity. As integrated beings, their wholeness is achieved through an equilibrium of the physical, psychological, social, cultural, developmental, and spiritual components. In one's continual adaptation to the environment, opportunities and experiences based on individual needs are selected and utilized.
Optimal health is synonymous with optimal adaptation.
Health is a relative state of mind, body, and spirit, which is unique to each individual. One's definition of health and illness is determined within a cultural context and is influenced by personal perceptions, values, and learning experiences. The nurse operates from a holistic perspective by incorporating knowledge and theory from nursing science, physical sciences, psychological and social sciences, humanities, and the arts to understand and address human needs. Nurses, as part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, collaborate with other health professionals to promote the goal of optimal health. A philosophy of caring serves as a foundation for nursing endeavors.