All students are considered adult learners. Education for entry into professional nursing occurs in the baccalaureate program and requires a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. They are prepared for beginning clinical leadership roles. Masters students expand skills and knowledge to become advanced practice nurses or administrators, actively identifying research problems and using research findings in practice. The advanced practice nurse is prepared in one of three specialty areas, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Midwife.
Nurse leaders are prepared at for middle management and executive leadership roles.
Doctoral students develop skills in theory development and in the conduct of original nursing research. In all three programs, faculty serve as role models, resource persons, and facilitators for student learning. The faculty believe that nursing education, practice and research are inextricably intertwined. Through faculty practice contracts negotiated in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, faculty provide expertise, model interdisciplinary collaboration for students, and create opportunities for research. Use of advanced information technology allows the extension of faculty expertise into rural communities.