MSN Philosophy and Program Outcomes
Nursing is an art and a science: the embodiment of caring. Nursing consists of a unique and integrated body of knowledge and requires multiple ways of thinking and reasoning. Nursing addresses holistic human responses to promote optimal health. Nurses function as part of the interprofessional team to provide high quality, safe, holistic care to their clients. Nursing requires commitment, accountability and responsibility to a diverse society and to the profession.
Learning is a lifelong endeavor that results in perpetual evolution of thinking, insight, attitude and behavior. Education is a shared venture between students and faculty in which both embrace learning as change. Students are responsible to uphold the highest level of integrity and practice standards and demonstrate commitment to self-direction, independence of thought and creativity. Faculty craft an intellectually challenging environment in which they facilitate learning, support student learning goals and role model excellence in education and nursing practice.
Graduate nursing education emphasizes inquiry as a constant that is integral to advancement of nursing practice. Engagement in systematic inquiry using traditional research methods, available evidence, contemporary technology, and information systems is an essential component of nursing education, scholarship and leadership. Graduate nursing education provides the foundation to assume a variety of specialized roles in teaching and leadership in nursing.
Nursing education is a specialty area of nursing practice that requires a unique blend of clinical and educational excellence. Nurse educators use their expertise to facilitate learning in classroom environments as well as practice settings. Nurse educators assist students to correlate theoretical concepts to real time events to solve client issues.
Nursing leadership is a specialty area of nursing practice that requires a unique blend of expertise in nursing and the business of healthcare. As members of interprofessional teams, nurse leaders facilitate innovative solutions in the provision of care within healthcare systems. Nursing leaders shape safe, healthy and fiscally sound systems through creative application of theoretical principles.
Upon completion of the Master of Science in Nursing program, graduates will be able to:
- Initiate evidence-based solutions focused on addressing needs in professional practice
- Engage interprofessional teams to promote innovative solutions within healthcare
- Integrate principles of diversity into professional nursing practice
- Employ change theory in planning, implementing, evaluating and revising systems that meet contemporary and emerging needs
- Integrate legal and ethical considerations into the practice of nursing
- Demonstrate proficiency at analyzing and using evidence in nursing practice
- Assimilate the multiple roles of advanced nursing practice within the context of the practice setting
