Our Mission

Mission Statement

In accordance with the mission of Central Connecticut State University, the CCSU nursing faculty believe that education for membership in a profession includes the development of expertise in a field coupled with development of social awareness. In today’s dynamic society, nurses must incorporate an increasingly global perspective into the practice of their profession.  The professional nurse with a liberal education not only thinks critically, but also provides care that is sensitive to the needs of diverse populations. The ultimate goal of the professional nurse is to assist individuals, families, and groups with varied needs and backgrounds to achieve optimal levels of health or wellness.

CCSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program was first organized in 1981. In 1986, initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing was awarded for an eight-year period; this was renewed in 1994.  Accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education was granted in 2001and again in 2006, when the program received full 10-year accreditation.

The purpose and objectives of the BSN program flow directly from the mission statement of Central Connecticut State University. The purpose of the program is to prepare students to obtain a BSN degree, and at the same time, empower them to attain the highest standards of academic achievement, public service, and personal development. Taken together, these goals reflect Central Connecticut State University’s fundamental responsibility.

As a university, Central Connecticut State University stands firm as an advocate for liberal and humane learning and for enlightened and productive participation in a global society. In support of the university’s mission, the CCSU BSN program blends liberal arts education with dynamic professional education. In all aspects of learning, students are encouraged to read with discrimination, to think critically, to write with accuracy, and to appreciate the scientific, social, and aesthetic values that shape our increasingly interdependent society. At the same time, the university strives to provide an environment that is conducive to the personal development of each student. To this end, a wide array of student activities is offered that foster leadership, community service, responsibility and creativity in students.

A liberal education in the natural and behavioral sciences and the humanities, coupled with in-depth study in the theory and practice of nursing, forms the basis for critical judgment and professional accountability in BSN graduates. Further, we view formal education received at the baccalaureate level as a preliminary to continued study and a lifetime of creative activity. This concept is reinforced throughout the student’s program of study and is demonstrated by faculty through their scholarly pursuits. The faculty believe that self-directed inquiry and individualized student learning further reflect their mission to serve a wide range of citizenry with varying characteristics and needs. The purpose of the Department of Nursing is to provide a program of high academic excellence, based upon a strong foundation in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The program is designed to prepare a professional nurse generalist who is alert to existing and anticipated nursing and health care needs of individuals, families, and communities. The professional nurse will be able to respond with relevant knowledge and skills to meet these needs in a variety of health care settings.

It is anticipated that this professional nurse, as an individual and as a citizen, will demonstrate responsibility and accountability to the consumer as well as to herself or himself and the profession. She or he will be a collaborative participant in the health care system.

Finally, the program is designed to serve as a foundation for graduate study and to provide an environment in which students can develop their potential as individuals and as contributing members of society.

 

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PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL OF NURSING

Introduction

The nursing faculty, in accord with the mission of Central Connecticut State University, believe that in a dynamic society, education for membership in a profession includes the development not only of expertise in a field but also of social awareness. In contemporary times, this social awareness includes the development of an increasingly global perspective. The professional nurse with a liberal education thinks critically, provides care that is interpersonally and therapeutically competent, and makes socially significant and personally satisfying contributions to society. The ultimate goal of nursing is to assist individuals, families, and groups to achieve optimal levels of health or wellness.

Person/Health

Wellness is holistic in nature and encompasses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well being. A person is a dynamic, bio-psychosocial system who is in constant interaction with his ever-changing environment. A person’s state of wellness, throughout the life cycle, is altered by events both internal and external. These events, affected by environmental factors, are both developmental and situational and may be either biophysical or psychosocial. Some of these events can be hazardous in that they are critical to a person’s future levels of wellness, both immediate and long-term. People respond to these events in terms of inherent biophysical potential and psychosocially and culturally-based experiences. The outcome of this response is determined by perception of the event, repertoire of coping measures, and external support systems. When these coping mechanisms are insufficient to deal effectively with hazardous events, a state of crisis develops and external interventions are required for resolution.

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Nursing

At all levels on the wellness continuum, the role of the nurse is to contribute to the provision of an optimal environment in order to promote growth and to maximize movement toward the highest level of wellness that the individual is able to achieve. The practice of nursing is both a science and an art based on professional nursing standards; it achieves its goals by a process known as caring. Caring involves therapeutic interventions based on interpersonal communication skills, technical competence, and the deliberate use of an intellectual process consisting of assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating a plan of care with the client. Nursing has both independent and interdependent functions. The independent function of the nurse is the diagnosis and treatment of responses to actual or potential health problems. The interdependent function of the nurse is to work with other health care providers to promote an interdisciplinary approach to comprehensive health care.

Nursing intervention varies with whether or not the client is in need of services. Emphasis is placed on prevention through health teaching, support of functional coping mechanisms, and the mobilization of support systems. When total recovery seems improbable, the nurse works, through rehabilitation, to return the client to this optimal level of wellness or to support a rational and dignified death.

The Baccalaureate degree in Nursing fosters self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and personal fulfillment – the hallmarks of Baccalaureate education. Baccalaureate nursing education strengthens nursing practice with a foundation in the sciences and humanities which contributes to theory-based practice, systematic inquiry, critical thinking, and a broadened social awareness. Baccalaureate preparation in nursing prepares a professional, competent generalist who exerts leadership and is able to transcend specific health care settings to utilize the nursing process in a multitude of environments. In addition, the professional nurse brings skills in research, planned change, and teaching/learning to the health care setting. The Baccalaureate degree also provides the nurse with a base for graduate education in nursing.

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Society/Environment

Nursing, as a profession, is engaged in a social contract with the larger social system in that it provides an essential service to that society from a multicultural perspective. Because a person also exists within the context of family and society, professional nursing acknowledges families and communities, in addition to individuals, as appropriate recipients of care. In response to unique needs of specific populations and dynamics within the health care system, the professional nurse also designs and assumes new roles which enable nursing to respond positively to the needs of a dynamic society.

 

Learning

Learning is an active, lifelong process in which permanent changes in behavior occur in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Learning is based upon factors both internal and external to the learner; internal factors include motivation, readiness, and individual learning styles. External factors include sequencing, use of multiple teaching modalities, and maintenance of a supportive environment. Students are active participants in the learning process. Faculty structure formal and informal learning environments that take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Faculty also function as role models for students; through their activities, they provide an example of professionals who are themselves involved in life-long learning and socially responsive activities.

Teaching

Teaching involves a relationship between student and teacher that fosters independence on the part of the learner. It involves structuring a series of progressive learning experiences that are futuristic as well as contemporary, challenging, and flexible. This process occurs in a milieu that encourages life-long learning, an inquiring frame of reference, and mutual respect.