PREFACE
This Handbook will provide you with information about the programs of study and the policies and procedures specific to our School of Nursing. It should be used as a supplement to the Widener University Bulletin, Widener University Student Handbook, and other University Publications. As such, the policies, procedures, regulations, requirements, standard of conduct and other information contained in such other publications are not reprinted herein, but are incorporated by reference herein as if all of the foregoing were set forth at length. All students are obliged to be familiar with and to comply with all of the policies, procedures, regulations, requirements, standards of conduct and other information set forth in such other publications.
The contents of this Handbook provide for the continuing integrity of the programs of study in the School of Nursing, thereby preparing you, the student, for professional roles. The University and the School of Nursing reserve the right and authority at any time to alter any of all of the statements contained herein, to modify the requirements for admission and graduation, to change or discontinue programs of study, to amend any regulation or policy affecting the student body, to increase tuition and fees, to deny admission, to revoke an offer of admissions, and to dismiss from the University any student at any time, if it is deemed by the University or the School of Nursing to be in the best interest of the University, the School of Nursing, the university community, or the student to do so. The provisions of this publication are subject to change without notice, and nothing in this publication may be considered as setting forth terms of a contract between a student or prospective student and Widener University.
ACCREDITATION AND APPROVAL
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Widener University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One DuPont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202-887-6791).
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Widener University are approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing 2601 N 3rd St, Harrisburg, PA 17110 (717) 783-7142
VISION and MISSION
The School of Nursing is an integral part of Widener University. The University was founded in 1821 and has grown to become a multi-campus metropolitan university located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the state of Delaware. The School of Nursing’s vision and mission are reflective of and consistent with the vision and mission of the University.
VISION STATEMENT
The Widener University School of Nursing aspires to be a preeminent school of nursing in a metropolitan university recognized for developing clinically prepared, scientifically oriented, technologically proficient, professional nurses who provide leadership as clinicians, educators, scholars and researchers to transform the health and quality of life of diverse communities in a global society.
MISSION STATEMENT
As a comprehensive School of Nursing, we achieve our mission by creating a learning environment where curricula are connected to societal health issues through diverse community engagement. We lead by providing a unique professional nursing education in a challenging, scholarly, and supportive learning community. We engage our students through interactive teaching, professional role modeling, active scholarship, and experiential learning. We inspire our students to be professionals who demonstrate leadership in nursing practice, education, scholarship, and research throughout the global community. We contribute to the health and well-being of the communities we serve.
Approved by faculty 9/11
School of Nursing Organizing Framework
INTRODUCTION
The organizing framework of the Widener University School of Nursing is derived from the unique mission and vision of the university and the School of Nursing that addresses the needs of our community of interest. It embraces professional nursing standards and the essential concepts as articulated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials documents for undergraduate and graduate education. Foundational to the organizing framework are the metaparadigm concepts: human being, environment, health and nursing, which are incorporated throughout the curricula in all programs.
DEFINITION OF ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS (AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF NURSING)
Liberal Education
The baccalaureate nursing curriculum provides a liberal education that includes broad exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing, as well as in-depth study in the discipline of nursing. Learning outcomes include knowledge of human culture and the natural world gleaned from science, social science, mathematics, humanities, and the arts. Intellectual and practical skills, including written and oral communication; inquiry; critical and creative thinking; quantitative literacy; information literacy; teamwork; and integration of learning are additional outcomes of a liberal education. Civic responsibility and engagement demonstrate individual and social responsibility. Liberal education also fosters ethical reasoning, knowledge of diverse cultures, and a propensity for lifelong learning. The graduate curriculum builds upon the liberal education acquired at the baccalaureate level. (AACN, 2011; AAC&U, 2015).
Role
Nursing education prepares its graduates to assume the role of the professional nurse – generalist at the baccalaureate level and advanced practice nurse at the graduate level. Nurses are prepared to be a provider of care, a designer/manager/coordinator of care, and an active member of the nursing profession within a global community. The nurse cooperates and collaborates with consumers, educators, and other health professionals in multidisciplinary settings to promote, maintain and restore health.
As a provider of care to diverse populations in a global community, the professional nurse must have a theoretical and evidenced based body of knowledge. Nurses are prepared to transform the health and quality of life of diverse communities using professional ethical frameworks and enhanced knowledge and by providing culturally sensitive care. As an advocate, the nurse engages in partnership with patients/clients – whether individuals, families, groups, or communities – to deliver high quality care, evaluate care outcomes, provide leadership in improving care, promote reduction of health disparities, and foster active participation in health care decisions. As an educator, the nurse must help individuals, families, groups, and communities acquire, interpret, and use information related to health care, illness, and health promotion.
The nurse must be a health care designer, manager, and coordinator using research findings and guided by evidenced based outcomes. As a designer of care, the nurse must design and implement high quality, evidenced based, cost effective care guiding the patient/client through the health care system. As a manager of care, the nurse must be a supervisor and evaluator of other health care providers; an interpreter of information related to health care, illness, and health promotion; and an information manager, assisting patients/clients in accessing, understanding, evaluating, and applying health related information. As coordinator, the nurse manages care to meet the needs of vulnerable populations in order to maximize independence and quality of life.
Core Competencies
Professional nursing requires strong critical thinking, communication, assessment, and technical skills as a foundation for the development of sound clinical judgment and decision-making. The nursing curricula are designed to provide graduates with course work and clinical experiences that promote the development of these essential core competencies for this practice discipline.
Core Knowledge
Nursing core knowledge builds upon the nursing essential core competencies. An appropriate set of values, an ethical framework, knowledge and action within the political and regulatory processes defining health care delivery and systems of care are required along with a commitment to lifelong learning. The School’s Mission Statement embodies the key concepts of core knowledge in its five- pronged approach to professional nursing education by creating curricula to address diverse societal health issues, promoting supportive and challenging learning environments, engaging students in scholarship and experiential learning, motivating students to demonstrate leadership in all areas of professional nursing, and contributing to the overall health and well-being of the communities we serve. Opportunities to explore emerging health care technologies are afforded to our students through a variety of course objectives and experiences.
Professional Values
Students enter nursing education already possessing a diverse set of personal beliefs and values. The delivery of health care and nursing education is fraught with moral dilemmas and the need to make ethical decisions based on professional values as well as the values of the patient/client. The School of Nursing promotes the development of professional values by providing curricula that incorporate the concepts of caring, altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, social justice, and accountability.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author.
American Association of Colleges and Universities (2015). Liberal education outcomes. Washington, DC: Author.
American Association of Colleges and Universities (2005). What is liberal education? Retrieved 2/26/06 from http://www.aacu.edu.org/press_room/mdia_kit/what_is liberal education.cfm
Approved by Full Faculty 5.22.06; 5/08; 2/16
PROFESSIONAL CODE FOR NURSES
The American Nurses Association (ANA, 2015) has developed the Code of Ethics for Nurses as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements is available online at http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PhD PROGRAM GOALS
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program prepares nurse scientists and is based on the belief that nursing is a professional discipline with its unique role and body of knowledge. The primary goal of the Doctor of Philosophy program of the Widener University School of Nursing is the preparation of nurse scientists, scholars, and leaders in nursing education. Graduates will create and disseminate to the public new knowledge gained from disciplined inquiry related to nursing and nursing education.
Reviewed annually Revised 9/08, 2/12, 1/19 Approved full faculty 2.24.12, 2.25.19 PhD PROGRAM
EXPECTED STUDENT AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Doctor of Philosophy program graduates will be able to:
- Synthesize knowledge of the theoretical and empirical foundations of nursing education and related fields within the context of higher education.
- Integrate acquired knowledge into a philosophical and intellectual frame of reference that can be applied to nursing education.
- Apply rigorous methods of disciplined scientific inquiry to generate new knowledge.
- Independently conduct and communicate research that advances and extends nursing knowledge and scholarship.
- Evaluate curricular designs and outcomes based on internal and external contextual analysis.
- Demonstrate leadership by addressing social, economic, political, and institutional forces in nursing, higher education, and health care practice.
- Engage in scholarly discourse with colleagues, nurse scholars, and leaders from within and outside the discipline of nursing.
- Disseminate new knowledge gained from disciplined inquiry of concern to nursing and nursing education.
Reviewed annually Edits Revised 9/08, 2/12, 1/19 Approved full faculty 2.24.12; 11.4.13, 2.25.19
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