Philosophy
Nursing is a professional discipline concerned with
meeting the health needs of a diverse and changing society.
Nursing is concerned with diagnosing, treating, and evaluating
human responses to actual or potential health problems across the
life span. Clients may be individuals, families, groups or
communities. Nurses assist clients to achieve their human
potential by promoting or restoring health or by supporting them
to achieve a peaceful death.
Nursing practice is provided within the context of interpersonal
interactions. Both baccalaureate-prepared and advanced practice
nurses contribute to improving the health of the public. Nurses
must analyze, synthesize, apply, and evaluate knowledge from
nursing and other disciplines in order to provide high quality
care. They must demonstrate caring, commitment, and respect for
the dignity of all people. Excellence in nursing is exhibited
through adherence to professional standards and through
contributions to changes in professional standards as the role of
the professional nurse changes. Students at all levels develop
knowledge, skills, and attitudes while in the clinical arena.
Faculty practice enriches our education, research, and service
activities.
Health is a dynamic state reflecting a client's ability to adapt
to changes in the environment. The environment consists of
internal and external forces that influence biopsychosocial and
spiritual functioning. Nurses support and enhance clients'
capacities for health by fostering care and personal growth in an
increasingly complex health care system. Nursing is a dynamic
discipline and nurses provide care through cooperation,
collaboration, and consultation with healthcare professionals of
other disciplines.
Learning is a life-long process that provides students the
opportunity to progress to the highest educational and practices
levels of which they are capable. The process of learning involves
student-teacher partnerships and cooperation in meeting student
and program goals. Faculty provide learning opportunities and
guidance appropriate to individual and program objectives and with
recognition of the unique learning styles and needs of individual
learners. Faculty provide the environment that promotes
self-growth and career satisfaction, and learners are encouraged
to assume leadership in citizenship, professional, and social
responsibilities. Faculty and students contribute to college level
strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation within the
College to enhance the learning environment at the University of
Kentucky College of Nursing.
Nursing research contributes to the discipline's knowledge base to
improve the health of individuals, families, groups and
communities. Nurse scientists provide leadership in the conduct,
application, and dissemination of research.
Undergraduate
Faculty believe that professional nursing education begins at the
baccalaureate level. Professional education at this level provides
knowledge about the content and process of nursing in sufficient
depth and scope to enable individuals to use evidence in practice
and exercise critical thinking and independent judgment when
making clinical decisions. The general education component
encompasses a broad knowledge base which individuals use to be
responsible and creative practitioners and citizens. Because
nursing is a practice discipline, students have opportunities to
apply an ever-expanding store of general and professional
knowledge in a variety of clinical settings with faculty guidance.
Student-faculty interactions promote socialization of students
into the professional nursing role.
Graduate (master's and doctoral)
Master's level education prepares nurses for advanced practice in
an era of specialization in nursing. Advanced practice builds on a
liberal baccalaureate education for the general practice of
professional nursing and provides a foundation for doctoral
education. Graduate education provides more and varied
alternatives with which to make decisions that are based on the
critical analysis of literature that support and improve clinical
practice. Faculty believe the best approach for promoting student
enthusiasm and commitment to the pursuit of these scholarly
endeavors is through reciprocal relationships with faculty as
mentors and models. Masters' level nursing education occurs with
one overall program and multiple specialty component areas of
study from which students can choose. Graduate education includes
the preparation necessary for leadership in evolving roles in
nursing and health care, and for gaining expertise in nursing at
the doctoral level. Doctoral education prepares nurse scholars to
contribute to the discipline's knowledge base and to provide
leadership in education, research, service, and practice.
Continuing Education
Faculty believe that life-long learning for nursing enhances
competence in professional practice and self-growth. A
well-organized system of life-long education enables registered
nurses to function more effectively in their professional roles,
to contribute to society, and to become more fulfilled human
beings. Faculty believe that the interdisciplinary exploration of
new ideas, trends, and developments, coupled with exposure to new
dimensions that improve the individual's competence, are critical
to the development and maintenance of a dynamic nursing
profession. Although life-long learning is ultimately the
responsibility of individual nurses, faculty are committed to
providing opportunities for such education. The College of Nursing
is particularly committed to providing life-long learning for
advanced practice nurses, researchers, managers, and scholars.
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