Mission:
The UCA Department of Nursing is committed to offering basic and advanced professional nursing education programs to students through excellence in the curriculum and faculty, thereby enhancing the health of the public.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the University of Central Arkansas Department of Nursing reflects the values and beliefs of the faculty, providing the foundation for excellence in the curriculum and the faculty and fulfillment of its mission.
Excellence in the nursing curriculum promotes the advancement of knowledge and prepares the graduate to assume professional nursing roles. This aim is achieved through excellence in the nursing faculty and their ongoing commitment to teaching, scholarship, and service. Scholarship includes the traditional scholarship of research, and the scholarship of teaching and of practice.
Nursing is an art and a science. Professional nursing is derived from the synthesis of theoretical and experiential knowledge and grounded in general education. It is achieved through clinical, administrative, political, scholarship, and educational endeavors. Caring is fundamental to nursing. It encompasses characteristics of empathy, compassion, sensitivity, and the ability to connect with patients. Caring is demonstrated through nursing activities that promote optimal outcomes with thoughtful attention to patients’ needs, interests, and values. The purpose of nursing includes care of the sick, prevention and treatment of disease and illness, management of symptoms, and promotion of the health and well being of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
People are holistic beings with inherent dignity and worth who function interdependently within society. People have the right and responsibility to participate, as actively as they are able, in decisions that affect their health. These decisions are influenced by diverse and multiple contexts which change throughout the lifespan.
Health is a dynamic state of physical, spiritual, and psychosocial being, affected by genetics, environmental factors, personal behaviors, and abilities to adapt in a rapidly evolving environment. Health is expressed in terms of perceived wellness and illness, both of which can occur in the presence or absence of disease. The professional nurse collaborates with patients, families, and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to address health needs.
Learning is a life-long endeavor that fosters intellectual and personal growth through critical thinking, active inquiry and participation in the educational process. Professional nursing practice requires the acquisition of knowledge, competencies, and values; role development; and acceptance of sociopolitical, ethical, and professional responsibilities. Faculty serve as role models and facilitate the learning process.
Baccalaureate graduates are prepared for basic professional practice in a variety of settings and have the foundation for graduate study. Graduates of the master’s program are prepared for advanced professional practice, as clinical specialists and nurse educators or as nurse practitioners, and have the foundation for doctoral study.
Adopted by Faculty Organization: April 5, 1996
Revised by Faculty Organization: March 7, 2003
Revised by Faculty Organization: August 22, 2003