The School of Nursing

Nursing is a professional discipline, involving both art and science that exists to identify and respond to the health concerns of society. The evolving body of nursing knowledge reflects nursing’s holistic perspective of human beings. This body of knowledge includes nursing science, nursing history, and nursing philosophy and ethics. Multiple methods of inquiry are used to gain an understanding of phenomena such as patterns of client-environment interaction, the lived experiences of health, and the relationship of nursing action to health outcomes.

In providing services to society, nursing practice is based on knowledge from the discipline of nursing, complemented by knowledge from other disciplines. Provision of nursing care is more than the synthesis of knowledge; it requires ethical determinations, accountability and the creative use of nursing skills. Nursing care involves the personal expression of a caring, competent nurse using self as the primary instrument.

The clients of nursing services include individuals, families, communities and populations that reflect societal diversity who are viewed holistically within the context of their environments. The focus of nursing is on the health of the client, whether well or ill. Since diversity in the backgrounds of persons influences their perceptions of health, the definitions of health held by clients, nurses and society may be in conflict. Therefore, it is important for nurses to acknowledge their definitions of health and to know and respect clients’ definitions and perceptions. Nurses and clients work together to achieve mutually established health goals related to areas such as functional ability, comfort, self-determination, independence, human potential and well-being.

Nursing care is provided in a variety of settings in collaboration with other professionals.

Multilevel, interdependent nursing roles are needed for providing care; each role requires distinct educational preparation. All nursing students experience learning as a dynamic, interactive process in which faculty and student alike participate. Students work with clinical nursing experts, participate in nursing research, and develop skills essential to excellence in practice, scholarship and leadership in a variety of settings. Students are engaged and actively involved in the processes of learning; curriculum and faculty facilitate the development of graduates as life-long learners.