PROGRAM
PHILOSOPHY
The
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Faculty
at Mississippi University
for Women are committed to the learning process and
to the professional development of students by providing programs of
academic
excellence. In accordance with the mission/purpose of MUW and the
Division of Nursing, the faculty have
developed a philosophy based on the concepts of person, environment,
health,
and nursing.
PERSON
Person constitutes a biopsychosocial, spiritual system constantly
interacting with and adapting to the environment to achieve and
maintain a
homeodynamic state. Person is valuable, holistic and worthy of
respect
and concern. Person may be defined as an individual, family,
community,
or society and has varying capabilities for independently meeting
universal
needs. These capabilities are dynamically influenced by
structures,
gender, value systems, culture, and environments. Person is
responsible
for meeting health needs and has the right to make necessary decisions
and to
receive professional assistance in achieving health goals.
ENVIRONMENT
Environment includes all conditions, circumstances, and influences
encountered
by and affecting person. Environment may be intrapersonal,
interpersonal,
or extra personal in nature. The intrapersonal environment is
concerned
with forces or interactive influences contained within the
person. The
interpersonal environment is concerned with forces or interactive
influences
between persons. The extra personal environment is concerned with
forces
or interacting influences existing outside the person.
Environment
affects the continuous process of becoming, evolving, and
changing.
Person and environment are complementary systems so that the
relationship
between the two is reciprocal. Change
in one system elicits response in the
other.
HEALTH
Health is defined by person in accordance with gender, culture, values,
and
capabilities. Health is a constantly changing state and exists on
an
illness to wellness continuum. Promotion
and facilitation of optimal health is developed in collaboration with
person,
when possible, and is based on resources available to both the person
and the
nurse.
NURSING
Nursing, as a profession, combines concepts from the sciences and
liberal arts
into an applied science and a creative art which focuses on health
needs.
The science of nursing is an organized body of knowledge derived
through
scientific research and theory development and applied through critical
thinking skills. The art of nursing is
the creative and caring application of this knowledge. The scope
of
nursing practice deals with diverse populations and includes dependent,
independent and interdependent functioning of the nurse within primary,
secondary, and tertiary settings. The faculty believes that the
scope of
nursing practice changes as health care continually evolves, thus the
professional nurse must possess the core competencies and scientific
knowledge
to provide care across all health care settings. Professional nursing
further
requires professional role development to include provider and manager
of care,
designer/manager and coordinator of care and member of a profession.
Basic
nursing values such as altruism, accountability, caring, human dignity,
integrity and social justice are inherent in these roles.
TEACHING/LEARNING
Learning is considered to be
a complex lifelong developmental process involving the interaction of
the
person with the environment. The teacher and learner share in the
challenge
of creating an atmosphere which stimulates intellectual curiosity,
critical
thinking, and individual creativity. The teaching-learning
process is
augmented when the learner actively participates in defining outcomes
and
assumes responsibility for achieving these outcomes. The teacher
serves
as a facilitator, counselor, and resource person.
CURRICULUM
OUTCOMES
The Bachelor of Science in
Nursing Program is designed to prepare a nurse generalists who will:
1. Synthesize knowledge from the humanities and the biophysical
and behavioral sciences as a basis for nursing decisions.
2. Apply critical thinking in the delivery of nursing care to
culturally diverse individuals, families, and communities in a variety
of health care settings.
3. Collaborate with health care providers and consumers for the
improvement of health care delivery.
4. Implement change to improve the health care system.
5. Accept responsibility for professional nursing values and role
development.
6. Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for
professional nursing practice.
7. Utilize research in advancing nursing practice.
Revised
3/22/04
