Learning is an active, experiential process that is lifelong, dynamic, continuous, and growth-producing.  This faculty views teaching as a deliberate endeavor to guide a learning situation in order to bring about a desired learning outcome.  We believe that our goal as professional nursing educators is to provide experiences for students to become mature, skilled, responsible practitioners of nursing who arrive at independent, complex judgments.  These judgments are based on complete and accurate data coupled with theory and knowledge, not only from nursing, but also from the liberal arts and sciences. Because of the complexity of the evolving body of knowledge we believe that professional nursing education is a life-long process.

Development of the student in the acquisition of nursing knowledge takes place through the student’s interaction with the environment.  The nature of the learning environment is therefore a significant factor in learning.  The Department of Nursing structures the learning environment that proceeds from simple to complex experiences.  Teaching/learning practice provides the student with opportunities to care for individuals, families and communities. The student comes to the learning situation with a specific cultural and ethnic background. Each student’s learning style, strengths, and goals have evolved out of past interactions between innate characteristics and the environment.  With the assistance of the faculty, it is the student’s responsibility to identify personal strengths and weaknesses and to achieve self-understanding, which enhances personal and professional growth.

We view faculty members as educators and facilitators of learning with the goal of stimulating student interest and encouraging students to assume responsibility for their own learning.  We recognize that the faculty member’s expertise, perceptions, beliefs and expectations influence the learning process.  The faculty member exposes students to attitudes, experiences, skills, and knowledge, encouraging students to discover meaningful relationships relevant to nursing practice.  The faculty member serves as a role model to the student by demonstrating a variety of nursing skills, not the least of which is sensitivity in human relationships.  The elements of openness, trust and caring in the student-faculty relationship are critical to the establishment of an environment conducive to learning.

Creativity and flexibility in teaching allow for responsiveness to changing environmental and societal needs.  Thus, we recognize various instructional methods in promoting learning.  Individual needs of the student, based on their cultural and ethnic backgrounds, available experiences, content to be learned, and environmental conditions all influence the Department of Nursing choice of instructional methodology.  We believe that the most effective methods are those which actively involve the student with the material to be learned.  In addition, the faculty utilizes academic and personal counseling as well as the campus educational support system which provides assessment and tutorial help.

A planned nursing curriculum, subject to ongoing evaluation by faculty, students, and the community of interest, is essential to guide students in becoming professional nurses.  The curriculum is designed to foster behaviors consistent with professional standards and guidelines.  The intent of the curriculum is to stimulate intellectual curiosity, analytical ability, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and individual creativity in all settings.  The effectiveness of the program is measured ultimately by the extent to which students:  (1) demonstrate achievement of the program’s terminal objectives; (2) are valued by patients/clients and employers; (3) derive satisfaction from their nursing activities; and (4) make significant contributions to the improvement of healthcare and the profession of nursing.

Updated 2-06