South University Identifying Nursing Mission Philosophy and Goals Paper

  • Identifying Nursing Mission, Philosophy and Goals

    You are the new Dean of Nursing in the fictitious University of the Seven Seas, College of Nursing (USS CON) and you are tasked to design a BSN curriculum for the new nursing program.For Part 1 of the Scenario in creating your BSN nursing program for the USS CON you will develop your nursing mission statement, philosophy, and program goals incorporating the QSEN and IOM recommendations for producing safe, quality care and coverage for all patients through nursing education. You will create a 4–6-page paper, using APA guidelines (excluding title page, references, and Appendices) addressing these items:

    Crafting a Mission Statement

    The mission of an organization is a succinct statement that captures the institution’s distinctive character. A mission statement is a declaration of the special purposes of an institution and whom it intends to serve. It is the public statement about what the institution is and why it exists. The uniqueness of the institution and scope of its activities are evident in the mission statement. The mission statement shapes the nature, scope, and boundaries of the goals, activities, and curriculum of the school of nursing (Iwasiw, Goldberg, & Andrusyszyn, 2009).

    Documenting the Philosophy

    “A curriculum philosophy is a speculative and analytical examination of beliefs which are logically conceptualized… [However,] beliefs are accepted opinions or convictions of the truth that are not necessarily supported by scientific knowledge. The purpose of the curriculum philosophy is to guide the educational processes of the learner” (Torres & Stanton, 1982, p. 30). The philosophy gives direction for the development of the curriculum. A nursing program’s philosophy is based on the stated mission, philosophy, and goals of the institution offering the program. The philosophy needs to incorporate the four Metaparadigms of nursing: Person, Nursing, Health, and Environment.Use the Internet to examine the philosophy and social statements of several universities and their colleges of nursing to familiarize yourself with important elements that are germane to each statement.

    Identifying the Goals

    The goals of a nursing program should be consistent with the nursing philosophy and should identify a level of student behavior (Torres & Stanton, 1982). Goals should initially be viewed as core characteristics or those qualities that faculty want graduates to display, such as: 1) critical thinker; 2) Culturally competent; 3) Knowledgeable coordinator of community resources; 4) Politically aware; 5) Ethically and legally grounded; 6) Effective Communicator; 7) Competent provider of health care; 8) Modeler of the professional role; 9) Responsible manager of human, fiscal, and material resources (Boland, 2009). Your goals need to align with American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Essentials of Baccalaureate Education (AACN, 2008).Remember, goals are not objectives and should not be written on the smaller scale that objectives are written on. Goals are broad and need to be written as student behavioral outcomes according to Bloom’s Taxonomy (especially at the 4–6 levels). If you are not familiar with Bloom’s Taxonomy (or Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy) there is an abundance of information available online. Be sure to take time to acquaint yourself with this valuable instructional design tool.