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, the School of Nursing Fact Books, 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.
Professional Nursing Law
The following statement is taken from the “The Professional Nursing Law” as enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Professional Nursing Law can be found at PA Code for Registered Nurse.
“The ‘Practice of Professional Nursing’ means diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, health counseling, and provision of care supportive to or restorative of life and well-being, and executing medical regimens as prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist. The foregoing shall not be deemed to include acts of medical diagnosis or prescription of medical therapeutic or corrective measures, except as performed by a certified registered nurse practitioner acting in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Board”. For additional information, click on the PA Professional Code for Nurses.
Professional Code for Nurses
The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA 2015) was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. Students at Widener University are responsible for understanding and adhering to the Code of Ethics. Additional information on the Code can be found at Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements.
Diversity Statement
Widener University School of Nursing is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and equity throughout our programs, our nursing practice, and in our workplace. The School of Nursing’s unique, powerhouse programs serve the needs of diverse students at all stages of their careers. We’re All Widener. That’s not just a saying here; it’s a way of life. It represents the culture of our university - a powerful call for respect, mutual understanding, and unity. Here you’ll be embraced and supported by a welcoming and inclusive community regardless of your race, ethnicity, national origin, gender and sexual identity, socioeconomic status, ability, religion, political affiliation, among other things. You’ll join a community of students and scholars who hail from across the country and around the world. Our community is woven together by diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives, and our classrooms, residence halls, and social spaces are enriched by this variety. You’ll interact with people and engage in the kinds of transformational moments that broaden your own worldview and prepare you for the world and workforce you’re about to enter. For more information about Diversity and Inclusivity, please click here.
Accreditation and Approval
Widener University’s School of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Post Master’s Certificate programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the MSN and Post Master’s Family (Individual across the Lifespan) CRNP and the MSN and Post Master’s Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs are approved by the State Board of Nurse Examiners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Commission on Collegiate Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Nursing Education (CCNE) State Board of Nursing One DuPont Circle, NW P.O. Box 2649 Suite 530 Harrisburg, PA 17105 Washington, DC 20036 (717) 783-7142 (202) 887-6791
Master of Science In Nursing Program Goals and Learning Outcomes
Master of Science in Nursing Program Goals
The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares graduates to function as advanced practice nurses who are leaders in providing care to individuals across the life span, families, and populations in varied health care and/or educational settings. The graduate uses advanced knowledge in nursing and in related sciences and humanities to improve health care. Graduates are prepared as evidence-based practitioners who utilize theory, skills, and leadership concepts to guide practice to impact health outcomes.
Master of Science in Nursing Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Master of Science in Nursing Program, the graduate will:
- Synthesize and integrate knowledge from nursing and other disciplines, based on a foundation in liberal arts, natural and social sciences to translate and apply to nursing education, practice and research at the advanced practice nursing level across diverse populations and spheres of care
- Create holistic person-centered approaches to evidence-based care across time, spheres of care, and developmental levels to diverse populations within one’s
advanced nursing scope of practice
- Advocate for and employ health promotion and disease management strategies across the health delivery continuum within the advanced level specialty scope of practice to improve population level health outcomes and improve health equity
- Engage in Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline at the advanced level to improve health and transform health care through generation, synthesis, translation,
application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge
- Demonstrate the capability to foster an environment of quality and safety for
individual performance and system effectiveness at the advanced level scope of practice through integration of current practice guidelines and evidence-based
interventions to improve healthcare
- Participate in intentional collaboration across professions to optimize health care outcomes across diverse populations and spheres of care within the advanced
practice nursing scope of practice
- Apply evidence-based methodologies to systems-based practice at the advanced practice level within one’s scope of practice to improve healthcare outcomes
across diverse populations and spheres of care
- Employ information and health care technologies to gather data and drive decision-making to manage the delivery of high quality, efficient healthcare within the advanced nursing level specialty scope of practice
- Model the advanced practice nursing characteristics and values contribute to the incorporation of ethics and values in the development of professional identity
- Demonstrate skills and attributes of personal health, resilience and well-being that contribute to life-long learning, expertise and leadership at the advanced nursing level scope of practice that promote positive practice environments
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