Our Philosophy
The Department of Nursing, within the School of Science and Mathematics, is an integral part of Millersville University of Pennsylvania. As such, it interacts with the mission statement of the University in the provision of undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing that achieve the highest standards of liberal arts education.
The nursing faculty believes that professional nursing is a practice discipline with a unique body of knowledge derived from the humanities, the physical, biological, psychological, and social sciences, and from nursing science.
The goal of professional nursing is the provision of rational and humanistic healthcare in a technologically complex society which assists individuals, families, and groups to achieve, recover, or maintain optimal levels of wellness within institutional and community settings. Central to professional nursing is the nursing process, based on the scientific method of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. As part of the interdisciplinary health care team, the nurse collaborates and coordinates with members of other health disciplines in the implementation of health care and acts as a change agent, advocate and educator for the individual, family, and community to promote wellness. The role of research in stimulating the acquisition of new nursing knowledge and in shaping health policy for a diverse and multicultural society, is an integral part of professional nursing.
The nursing faculty recognizes the holistic nature of the person as a biopsychosocial spiritual being. The person is evolving and mutually interacts with the environment in a manner which promotes optimal function. The environment is composed of physical, spiritual, and bio psychosocial aspects with the family as the basic social unit. Health is defined as the ability of a system to respond adaptively to a wide variety of environmental challenges be they physical, chemical, infectious, psychological, or social. Health is seen as a positive process, not merely the absence of symptoms. It moves beyond the restriction of health as biological or mental well-being and includes a consideration of the surrounding environment. As an evolving system, the person is constantly adapting in response to stressors in the environment.
The faculty believes that education is a lifelong process. Nursing education is an interactive process between students, teachers, and the environment, which is individualized, creative, goal oriented, and outcome based. The faculty believes that students bring with them past experiences which serve as a foundation for the examination, development, and understanding of professional development, personal growth, and affective awareness. Furthermore, nursing education facilitates multicultural awareness, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, sound reasoning and judgment.
