Philosophy

Baccalaureate nursing education provides a broad foundation in the sciences and liberal arts necessary for preparing professional nurses who are capable of practicing in a competent and responsible fashion as informed citizens in a dynamic and diverse society. Graduates of the baccalaureate nursing program are expected to demonstrate competencies consistent with being a critical thinker; a culturally competent person; a knowledgeable coordinator of community resources; a politically aware professional; a beginning practitioner whose actions are consistent with professional legal and ethical standards; an effective communicator; a competent provider of health care; and a person who exemplifies a positive image. Baccalaureate graduates assist individuals, families, and communities in attaining mutually established health goals and in facilitating the highest level of functioning for individuals, families, and communities toward the maximization of their health potential. Baccalaureate education must prepare graduates to be knowledgeable workers, to be processors of information, and to navigate complex health care systems using available technologies as they design and develop more efficient and effective approaches to the delivery of health care services independently or in conjunction with others.

Bachelor of Science Program Outcomes

• A critical thinker who is able to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, rational inquiry, problem- solving skills, and creativity in framing problems.
• A culturally competent person who provides holistic nursing care to a variety of individuals, families, and communities.
• A knowledgeable coordinator of community resources who facilitates individuals', families', and communities' access to resources necessary to meet health care needs.
• A politically aware individual who participates in the profession and practice of nursing with a global perspective.
• An individual who practices within an ethical and legal framework of the nursing profession.
• An effective communicator who is able to share accurate information.
• A competent provider of health care who assumes the multiple role dimension in structured and semistructured health care settings.
• A professional role model who promotes a positive public image of nursing.
• A responsible manager who balances human, fiscal, and material resources to achieve quality health care outcomes.