Nursing and Health Major Mission Statement
The mission of DeSales nursing is to impart contemporary education in the art and science of nursing consistent with the Salesian tradition. Graduates are prepared as competent, caring nursing professionals responsive to dynamic healthcare systems. Prepared to assume leadership roles, graduates contribute to the overall advancement of the profession and are able to embark on future academic endeavors.
Nursing Major Student Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate from DeSales University with a major in nursing will be able to:
- exemplify Christian humanism through valuing and facilitating full human development;
- assist persons to make ethical and moral health care decisions;
- integrate best evidence into clinical practice;
- demonstrate intellectual curiosity, rational inquiry, problem-solving, and creativity when applying the nursing process to individuals, families, aggregates, communities, and populations with health needs;
- advocate for changes in the practice of nursing and the delivery of health care that promote improved health outcomes;
- coordinate and manage interdisciplinary and community resources to meet changing health needs of individuals, families, aggregates, communities, and populations;
- demonstrate leadership and flexibility by assuming multiple roles in order to facilitate the competent delivery of health care;
- safely and effectively integrate technological and scientific advances into cost-effective nursing care;
- provide culturally competent nursing care to persons with diverse backgrounds and needs;
- communicate effectively and therapeutically using a variety of media and methods.
Philosophically, the nursing program adheres to the University’s belief that there is a Christian way of being human. Nursing as a caring, comforting and nurturing art and as a science based on inquiry and established principles reflects Christian beliefs. Nursing courses are rooted in the tenets of Salesian Christian humanism in which persons are viewed holistically and nursing action aims to foster each person’s full physical, intellectual, moral, social, aesthetic, and spiritual/religious development. The goals of nursing include health promotion, maintenance, restoration, and palliation.
The undergraduate nursing major prepares the graduate for general practice at a beginning professional level in nursing and provides a knowledge base for graduate study and an awareness of the need for life-long learning. Upon successful completion of the undergraduate nursing program of study, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is granted. A four-year academic program is offered in a traditional day format and in an evening-weekend format. An Accelerated BSN Program is offered for students who have already completed a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing major.
Academically qualified traditional students may be eligible for direct admission into one of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs through the Nurse Scholars Program. Traditional students must fulfill all requirements for the BSN degree before attaining status as graduate students. MSN programs prepare students to pursue advanced practice nursing specialties, including family nurse practitioner, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist, or adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. MSN degree options also include forensic nursing with certification in investigative forensics, nursing informatics with certification in healthcare information management, and nurse executive via the dual MSN/MBA program (students interested in the dual MSN/MBA program must apply separately to the MBA program for admission consideration; acceptance into the MBA program is not guaranteed).
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-MSN APRN certificate programs at DeSales University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation).
Admission into the nursing major from the freshman year assures placement in clinical nursing courses, provided that the student remains in “Academic Regulations ”.
