Nursing Faculty Director:
health nurse. Both acceptance to and continuation in the nursing major will be determined by the student ʼ s preparation, performance and personal integrity, as assessed by the faculty of the Department of Nursing. Philosophy The philosophy of the Department of Nursing is in agreement with that of the University. As such, we believe nursing is concerned with the well being of the total person. Each individual is an integrated, unique person, created in God ʼ s image, and endowed by God with dignity and worth. The entry of sin into the world has placed a constraint on the individual ʼ s total well being which can only be remedied by the power and love of God through faith in Jesus Christ. God has created all persons with the potential for dynamic growth and development throughout their lives, and with the right to make decisions which influence their well being. All persons require social interaction to achieve and maintain well being. The family within the context of its cultural environment is the fundamental unit through which the socialization process is advanced. We believe that caring, as exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, is the essence of nursing. The focus of nursing activity is the three client systems (personal, interpersonal and community) and the dynamic interaction between them within the context of their environment. These three systems also are interacting constantly with internal and external stressors which may affect the integrity of the systems. It is our view that the purpose of nursing is to support and promote the processes that facilitate the systems ʼ abilities to achieve and maintain adaptive equilibrium. This is accomplished through use of the nursing process which is ongoing and involves assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating. Effective use of this process enables the nurse to work with client systems at varying locations on the health-illness continuum. Nursing is a dynamic profession based on a growing body of scientific knowledge. It is our belief that Biblical studies, together with the behavioral, biological and physical sciences are fundamental to the development of nursing ʼ s own unique body of knowledge. Nursing is both art and science; its uniqueness does not reside in any specific component of theory or action, but can be found only in the whole. As one of the major health care professions, we believe nursing is accountable to God and to society for provision of quality health care services in a broad variety of settings. Baccalaureate nurses endeavor to meet this responsibility through involvement in leadership, collaboration, education, and research utilization activities to improve clinical practice, influence health care policies, and further the development of nursing science. In a rapidly changing world, adequate and equitable delivery of health care is a critical problem. We believe that equal access to health care services is the right of every individual in society. Through its unique contribution, nursing can and must be an effective social force in promoting the quality and availability of health care services for all persons. To effect positive changes nurses must participate in all aspects of the health care delivery system including: (1) evaluating the adequacy of health care services for the community; (2) projecting needs for additional or new services; and (3) taking appropriate action to insure adequacy of services. This requires nursing involvement with community action groups and with local and national legislative processes. We believe initial preparation of professional nurses to meet the health care needs of society is best accomplished through the learning acquired in baccalaureate education. As nurse educators it is our responsibility to provide an environment which facilitates the learning necessary to prepare graduates for professional practice and advanced professional education. Consistent with our belief about the nature of persons, we believe students and faculty members are uniquely created by God and endowed by God with dignity and worth. As Christian educators we value the distinctive cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds of each person and recognize that this diversity enriches our learning environment. It is the role of the educator to provide a learning climate of Christian caring which: (1) enhances students ʼ abilities to
Susan E. Elliott
Professor:
Elliott
Associate Professors: Assistant Professors:
Browning, Dixon, Gewe, Styffe
Van Niekerk
Mission The mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare students to be competent nursing professionals who integrate Christian caring into their nursing practice. Learning Outcomes To demonstrate the Christian caring which is essential to the practice of professional nursing, the graduate is expected to: 1. Base nursing practice on a philosophical foundation consistent with Biola University and the Department of Nursing beliefs about the nature of persons and the nature of nursing. 2. Integrate knowledge from Biblical studies, and the behavioral, biological, and physical sciences together with knowledge from nursing science and utilize this knowledge as a basis for nursing practice. 3. Base nursing practice on a formulation of theoretical knowledge incorporating communication / collaboration, teaching / learning, critical thinking / problem solving, and leadership / advocacy principles. 4. Collect relevant data systematically from all pertinent client systems, the environment, and the research knowledge base; utilize this data effectively to provide safe, competent, evidence-based nursing care. 5. Demonstrate application of synthesized concepts related to Christian caring, stress / adaptation, developmental, interactional and systems theories in the purposeful and systematic use of the nursing process to facilitate optimal adaptation through appropriate use of the prevention, restoration, and conservation modes of intervention with the three client systems. 6. Identify and utilize knowledge of the relevant cultural, economic, ethical, global, legal, political, social, and spiritual factors and the interactions between them that affect the practice of nursing and the delivery of health care services. 7. Demonstrate personal and professional development and Christian commitment consistent with the goals of Biola University and baccalaureate nursing education. Overview Biola University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing which is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, 400 R Street, Suite 4030, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 322-3350; and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 887-6791. The program is designed to prepare graduates for a career in professional nursing. Graduates of licensed vocational, diploma and associate degree nursing programs may be admitted as transfer students and evaluated individually. Policies are available from the Nursing Department. Clinical nursing experiences are provided with the cooperation of hospitals and agencies throughout both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In compliance with State Board regulations, the candidate will be eligible to take the examination required by the Board of Registered Nursing for licensure as a registered nurse. Upon graduation, application can be made for certification as a public
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