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Mission
The mission of the Department of Nursing at West Chester University is to provide high quality professional degree education in nursing. The baccalaureate program prepares graduates for entry to nursing practice and the masters program prepares graduates for advanced practice in community health nursing. The goal of the department is to prepare nurses for leadership and advocacy in the health promotion, disease prevention and health restoration of individuals, families and communities. Graduates of these nursing programs will be professionals capable of assuming leadership in present and emerging health care roles, citizens who contribute to society, and who are committed to life-long learning and personal development.
Philosophy
The Department of Nursing affirms the WCU Vision, Mission and Values Statements and the College of Health Sciences Mission Statement. It shares the University's commitment to teaching, research, and service to individuals, families and communities. The following statement reflects the Department of Nursing's philosophical beliefs.
The Department of Nursing recognizes that individuals, families and communities are entitled to access to health care. Health care is defined as services which promote quality of life throughout the life span. Nursing is the promotion of adaptive responses in clients using a variety of interventions. Advanced practice nursing roles include expert clinician, educator, researcher, consultant, and leader. The nursing programs at West Chester University recognize and value the holistic qualities of individuals, families and communities. The programs prepare individuals to practice nursing with the framework of these values through a strong liberal arts and science curriculum.
The faculty of the Department of Nursing provides a caring and supportive environment while respecting the diversity of the student body and communities which it serves. The University community cultivates and supports faculty/student collaboration and mentoring. Students are treated as individuals with unique qualities and learning needs. Through role modeling, the faculty reflects the department's philosophy of caring in their own nursing practice and in their relationships with faculty, students, and the community.
The AACN Essentials documents (The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education and The Essentials of Master's Education) provide structure for the curriculum content of both programs. The faculty designed both programs to facilitate the students' abilities to creatively respond to a continuously changing health system. Innovative educational experiences are cooperatively planned to meet the needs of students and clients and to empower them both. The interpretation, development and implementation of ethical research is stressed throughout the educational process. Ethical decision making, accountability, critical thinking, and effective communication skills are emphasized. This is achieved by the application of nursing theory to professional practice. Each program promotes lifelong learning and the pursuit of advanced professional degrees.
Program Objectives
I. Evidences a concerned awareness and a sense of responsibility for contemporary health and social issues as these affect diverse populations.
II. Provides leadership through professional and civic activities to advocate for the improvement of health care within society.
III. Demonstrates accountability and competency in using the nursing process to assist clients at various levels of health in a variety of settings.
IV. Uses nursing theory and research to support nursing practice.
V. Collaborates, coordinates, and consults as a colleague within the interdisciplinary health team in managing client care.
VI. Characterizes learning as a lifelong process.
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