Mission, Vision and Philosophy
Philosophy of the School of Nursing
The wellness-illness continuum of care provides the overall organizing framework that serves as the philosophical structure for the nursing curriculum at the South College School of Nursing, with students introduced to a variety of nursing theoretical frameworks. Related concepts emphasized in the nursing curriculum include ethical decision-making, critical thinking, effective communication, leadership, and management.
- Person: A person is a unique, holistic, adaptive, open system. Persons, either alone or in groups, families, or communities, have inherent basic rights and choices. Each person is multi-dimensional with variables such as age, gender, culture, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle choices.
- Environment: Environment is a complex, open system functioning in a dynamic state of change. The environment is both internal and external, uniquely perceived by each person, either alone or in groups, families, or communities.
- Health: Health is a dynamic phenomenon encompassing physical, emotional and spiritual parameters. Health is individually perceived and influenced by internal and external factors.
- Nursing: Professional nursing is an art and a science with caring as the core concept. The role of the nurse is to facilitate optimal independent functioning of persons, alone or in groups, through the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. The professional nurse will utilize critical thinking and the nursing process to plan and implement care.
- Professional Nursing Education: Nursing education is an interactive process. The faculty of the South College School of Nursing embraces the concepts of professional nursing education as described in the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008) and the Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (AACN, 2011).