School of Nursing
Mission, Philosophy, and Outcomes
The Mission
In harmony with Western Michigan University's and the College of Health and Human Services' mission statements, the Bronson School of Nursing is dedicated to meeting the holistic care needs of diverse individuals, groups, and communities at local, state, national, and global levels, through teaching, scholarly inquiry, and service with the community. The WMU Bronson School of Nursing is committed to educating professional nurses who provide competent, relationship-centered care, actively participate in the development and application of research, and assume leadership roles in evolving health care contexts.
The Philosophy
Beliefs about Teaching and Learning
We believe that nursing students are adult learners, responsible for assessing their own learning needs, for seeking and using educational opportunities, and for preparing themselves to engage in a lifelong pursuit of learning and self-development.
We believe that faculty are responsible for facilitating learning through creation of an environment that fosters thoughtful exchange of ideas, critical thinking, guided experience with new concepts and skills, and opportunities for self-development.
Beliefs about the Practice of Nursing
We believe that the practice of nursing includes a broad range of activities, including direct patient care, research, administration, education, and setting the health policy agenda.
We believe that nursing practice is evidenced based (standards of practice) in order to provide the highest quality of care possible.
We believe that nursing care is holistic, respecting the spiritual, cultural, physiological, and psychosocial dimensions of each client.
We believe that nursing services should add value to the lives of clients without unnecessary cost.
We believe that nursing care is relationship-centered and values diversity. Beliefs about the Profession of Nursing.
We believe that nursing is grounded in the ethical codes of the profession.
We value the autonomy of nursing as a discipline, including setting standards of practice, codes of moral behavior, and guidelines for educational programs.
We believe that nursing has a social contract with the community that is responsive to the needs of the community and based on partnerships that work together to make the community healthier.
Beliefs about Graduate Education in Nursing
Faculty in the WMU Bronson School of Nursing believe that graduate education builds upon the foundation provided at the undergraduate level. Graduate education is characterized by increased depth and breadth of knowledge necessary for the practice of advanced professional nursing.
Faculty believe that advanced professional nursing involves the integration of knowledge of systems, roles, culture, ethics, health care policy, health care finance, research methods, and leadership to promote health and well-being of populations of interest. Faculty conceptualize advanced professional nursing as a role in which the nurse either designs/manages health care services or the educational processes that prepare future nurses within varying contexts and cultures
Faculty further believe that advanced professional nurses analyze and synthesize knowledge for expert decision-making, leadership, and the advancement of the profession of nursing. Additionally, the advanced professional nurse comprehends the historical, ethical, and theoretical foundations of the profession and the discipline of nursing.
Faculty believe that the graduate student must be exposed to faculty who will stimulate professional development and leadership qualities using a variety of teaching and learning strategies. We further believe that an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and relationship-centered interactions facilitates the development of the advanced professional nurse.
The WMU Nursing Faculty believe that the masters level of education for advanced professional nursing should result in the degree, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). The MSN reflects nursing as a discipline with substantive content and knowledge.
Outcomes
At the end of the WMU Bronson School of Nursing BSN program, the learner will be able to:
1. Provide holistic, caring, and culturally sensitive nursing care for communities, groups, and individuals;
2. Develop community health partnerships with clients and other health providers in order to shape health policy, promote health, and prevent disease;
3. Analyze and apply nursing research and scholarly inquiry to inform professional practice;
4. Accept responsibility and accountability for behavior consistent with the profession's code of ethics and standards of professional practice;
5. Employ critical thinking to guide professional practice; and
6. Utilize effective human and technological communication in professional practice in order to enhance the health and well being of diverse individuals, families, and communities.
Accreditation
The Michigan Board of Nursing is the regulatory body that grants provisional and full approval of nursing education programs in the State of Michigan. Full approval of the WMU Bronson School of Nursing undergraduate program was granted in July, 2002 following provisional status prior to that time.
The Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing undergraduate program is accredited through 2017 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC, 20036-1120. The CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency. As a "specialized professional accrediting agency, CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs" (CCNE document). The CCNE visit focusing on the review of the undergraduate curriculum took place in March 2007. The CCNE accreditation visit with a focus on the MSN program will take place April 7-9, 2008.
The WMU Bronson School of Nursing undergraduate program has also received endorsement from the American Holistic Nursing Certification Corporation which is the credentialing body for holistic nursing. This endorsement enables graduates of the program to be exempt from prerequisites should they choose to sit for the National Certification Examination in Holistic Nursing.