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University of Colorado College of Nursing

College of Nursing
 

The Dean’s Office

Educational Philosophy and Outcomes

In 2008, the College of Nursing celebrated 110 years of contributions in nursing education, practice and research. The BS in nursing program, established in 1920, is one of the oldest baccalaureate programs west of the Mississippi. The MS program began in 1950, the PhD in 1978, and the doctor of nursing practice(DNP) in 2005 in accordance with national standards. In 1965, the college offered the first nurse practitioner program in the country. The College of Nursing consistently ranks in the top 15 schools of nursing in the U.S. for the quality of our programs.

College of Nursing Mission, Vision and Values

The mission declares our purpose. The vision expresses our direction. The values assert our behavior. Taken together, they provide a road map to our destination.

Mission

The College of Nursing shares the mission of the University of Colorado: Improving human health by educating practitioners in nursing, delivering exemplary health care, and conducting research in the health sciences. (Source: College of Nursing Philosophy Statement – June 23, 2008)

Vision

By 2020, the College of Nursing will be recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in research, clinical care and education of clinicians, scientists and educators for professional and inter-professional roles.

Values

The College of Nursing embraces excellence in:

  • Learning and Scholarship
    • Generation of disciplinary knowledge is founded upon pluralistic forms of inquiry, continual communication with nursing practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Discovery and Innovation
    • a search for knowledge regarding human experiences of health-illness-healing, the human/technology interface, environmental contexts of health care and quality cost-effective outcomes
    • development and testing of explanatory models of health, illness and healing to guide professional practice
    • positive influence on the environmental contexts of health and health care; and
    • promotion of quality and cost-effective outcomes of nursing care
  • Health and Care of Mind, Body, and Community
    • Nursing is a theory-guided, evidence-based practice, focused on holistic, relationship-centered caring that facilitates health and healing.
  • Diversity, Respect, and Inclusiveness
    • Contemporary nursing education and practice require a commitment to diversity, interdisciplinary partnerships in practice and research and a grounding of education in faculty practice.
  • Citizenship and Leadership
    • Nurses engage in leadership to improve the health and health care of the society they serve. Faculty believe in education’s responsibility to society to prepare nurses who advocate for social justice and in education’s need to be responsive to society’s needs and changing local, national and global health care environments. Faculty have a commitment to promoting reflective practice and leadership for social change.

(Source: College of Nursing Philosophy Statement – June 23, 2008)

Philosophy

The College of Nursing, as an integral part of its parent institution, is dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning grounded in the arts, sciences and humanities. The College of Nursing shares the mission of the University of Colorado: improving human health by educating health practitioners, delivering exemplary health care, and conducting research in the health sciences. The mission of the institution is directed toward a diverse community and the university acknowledges values, fosters and benefits from the unique qualities, rich histories and wide range of cultural values. The philosophy and mission of the College of Nursing are focused on education, research, reflective practice and service within nursing.

The College of Nursing faculty believe nursing is a professional discipline with academic and practice dimensions. As a practice profession, nursing serves society through delivery of direct and indirect health care services to individuals, families and communities in local, regional, national and international contexts. Nursing is a theory-guided, evidence-based practice, focused on holistic, relationship-centered caring that facilitates health and healing. Nursing is committed to ensuring quality health care for all. Nurses engage in political leadership to improve the health and health care of the society they serve.

The College of Nursing faculty believes that higher education in nursing is responsible for preparing nurses for professional and discipline-related roles through a competency based curriculum emphasizing practice that is relational, reflective, responsive, respectful and caring. Thus, the faculty believes in the equivalent importance of undergraduate nursing education, graduate nursing education and nursing education to prepare entry-level nurses with a professional doctorate.

The faculty is committed to promoting reflective practice, and leadership for social change with inherent reciprocity among nursing practice, theory and research in all educational programs. The faculty further believes that preparation for various nursing roles requires education in the arts and sciences foundational to nursing and in substantive disciplinary knowledge regarding caring in the human health experience across the lifespan.

The faculty believes that contemporary nursing education and practice requires a commitment to diversity, interdisciplinary partnerships in practice and research and a grounding of education in faculty practice.

Faculty practice models, expert care and community service provides opportunities to develop innovative models of health care delivery, improve access to care for underserved populations, engage in clinical inquiry and test nursing theories. Contemporary nursing education is also facilitated by articulated degree programs – flexible and self-directed programs that incorporate lifelong learning, innovative educational technologies and inter-institutional collaboration.

Re-ratified 6/23/08 General Faculty Meeting

Outcome Competencies

Implement ethical, competent nursing practice with individuals, families and communities based on understanding the human experiences of health, illness, healing and dying.

BS

  1. Assess plan, implement and evaluate nursing care with individuals, families, groups, populations and communities across the life span.
  2. Provide nursing care, as a generalist, in a variety of community-based and institutional settings.
  3. Synthesize knowledge from the humanities, natural and social sciences as the basis for holistic nursing practice.

MS

  1. Implement the advanced practice role with a specific population or specialized focus based on advanced scientific knowledge.
  2. Provide advanced specialty nursing care, respecting client choice and appreciating the subjective experiences of health, illness, healing and dying.

DNP

  1. Demonstrate advanced nursing knowledge and skills in an area of advanced practice based on a contemporary nursing paradigm.
  2. Implement traditional and complementary advanced caring modalities, respecting client choice and appreciating the subjective experiences of health, illness, healing and dying.
  3. Conduct advanced assessments of individuals, families, groups, communities, populations, organizations and systems.
  4. Implement and evaluate nursing care based on current research and other ways of knowing.

PhD

  1. Synthesize existing knowledge critically and generate new knowledge regarding experiences of health, illness, healing, dying and the effect of nursing practice on these human experiences.
  2. Conduct formal inquiry of the phenomena of human experience and competent nursing practice and relationships between them.
Use technology and information systems to promote health, facilitate appropriate and ethical decision-making, support collaboration and foster communication.

BS

  1. Identify, acquire, process and manage information and technology to support nursing and delivery of health care.
  2. Communicate effectively in written, verbal and electronic format.
  3. Demonstrate an increasing awareness of the ethical implications of using technology in health care.

MS

  1. Integrate technology and information systems within an advanced practice role with a specific population or a specialized focus.
  2. Provide leadership in the use of technology and information systems in the promotion of optimal health for a specific population.
  3. Critique and analyze the ethical implications of advanced technologies.

DNP

  1. Manage and interpret complex databases from multiple sources.
  2. Use information systems effectively to implement care management and program development.
  3. Provide leadership in identifying appropriate technology and information systems that improve health and facilitate inter-professional collaboration and decision-making.
  4. Explore and develop virtual models of caring and health practices.
  5. Critique and analyze the ethical implications of advanced technologies.

PhD

  1. Interpret salient information from multiple sources including scientific literature, clinical data and large databases to support collaborative decisions.
  2. Critique and build the guidelines for ethical use of information.
  3. Provide leadership in the design and use of technology and information systems.
  4. Develop knowledge in the ethical implications of and the human response to technology.
Promote health and safe environments of local to global populations and communities through the development, implementation and evaluation of models, programs and policies.

BS

  1. Practice nursing care strategies essential to health promotion, disease prevention, safe environments, restorative care and illness management with diverse populations across the life span and the continuum of care.
  2. Plan, conduct and evaluate health promotion activities and make appropriate referrals for individuals, families and communities.
  3. Advocate public policies that promote social justice in vulnerable communities related to physical environmental hazards and psychosocial environmental risks.

MS

  1. Assess existing health and social policies for specific populations to promote awareness of the relationships between social-political-physical environments and health.
  2. Advocate for vulnerable populations and, through collaboration, mobilize necessary changes in existing policies to promote the health and wellness of specific populations.

DNP

  1. Integrate and apply complex data from multiple sources in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating community health.
  2. Critique and promote policy development related to communities through community-responsive health promotion.

PhD

  1. Synthesize existing knowledge of environmental influences on individuals and communities to inform practice and policy making.
  2. Conduct systematic inquiry to provide knowledge for practice and social policy related to communities and environments.
Manage care ethically with individuals, families and populations to achieve quality, cost-effective outcomes.

BS

  1. Manage nursing care in partnership with clients through coordination, delegation, consultation and referral.
  2. Demonstrate accountability for ethical, quality and cost-effective care.

MS

  1. Assume a leadership role in managing care for specific populations while maintaining sensitivity to potential ethical/legal dilemmas.
  2. Manage quality and cost-effective outcomes related to advanced practice with specific population or specialized focus.
  3. Direct the care/case management across the continuum for a specific population.

DNP

  1. Use knowledge of ethics, economics and health care finance, leadership and management for comprehensive care of clients.
  2. Manage and evaluate the complex health care needs of individuals, families, communities and organizations to provide quality and cost-effective outcomes.
  3. Develop skills in systems assessment for the purposes of developing population-focused programs that address health care needs.

PhD

  1. Synthesize existing knowledge and available data about the delivery of quality, cost-effective and ethical health care.
  2. Conduct systematic inquiry of care management to achieve quality, cost-effective and ethical outcomes of health care.
  3. Provide leadership in the design and evaluation of care delivery systems.
Advocate for social justice initiatives that enhance access, quality and socio-cultural acceptability of health care for all.

BS

  1. Express informed positions on professional issues and trends, opportunities for advocacy and strategies for social and political action for health and well being of society.
  2. Act as a socially responsible citizen to advocate for social and political action that improves health care for all and facilitates access to care for vulnerable and under-served populations.

MS

  1. Provide leadership for social justice initiatives for vulnerable and under-served populations.
  2. Design programs for and with specific populations to promote access to culturally competent, quality care.

DNP

  1. Participate in the design and implementation of health care programs that increase access and deliver culturally competent care.
  2. Advocate for policy that improves the health of vulnerable and under-served populations.

PhD

  1. Critique and develop social policy to promote an accessible, equitable, acceptable and culturally competent health care system.
  2. Shape the policy for specific populations based on theoretical and philosophical perspectives and systematic analysis of data.
Provide leadership in the delivery and management of health care for diverse populations and environments across the continuum of care.

BS

  1. Promote effective working relationships with diverse clients, health care providers and other stakeholders.
  2. Collaborate with inter-professional teams in community-based and institutional settings.
  3. Provide culturally competent care.

MS

  1. Design, deliver, and manage health care of specific populations incorporating a multicultural perspective.
  2. Model culturally competent care to other health care providers.
  3. Institute changes in health care systems that facilitate meeting the needs of diverse populations.

DNP

  1. Design and evaluate innovative health care programs in collaboration with diverse clients, health providers and other stakeholders.
  2. Develop practice standards based on the analysis of current clinical practice, using ethical and legal frameworks.
  3. Lead health care programs that deliver care to diverse populations.
  4. Model culturally competent care to other health care providers.

PhD

  1. Critique and integrate existing systems theories for policy development and application in diverse populations and environments.
  2. Conduct systematic inquiry into systems phenomena and health care outcomes.
Practice relationship-centered caring based on the human experience of health, illness, healing and death/dying.

BS

  1. Implement relationship-centered caring with diverse populations based on objective data and subjective experiences.
  2. Communicate effectively and respectfully with clients, health care providers and other stakeholders.

MS

  1. Demonstrate relationship-centered caring in advanced practice nursing through advocating for client dignity, uniqueness, and choice.
  2. Integrate practices that model effective caring and the value of relationships into advanced practice.

DNP

  1. Apply knowledge of the experience of health, illness, healing and dying to the practice of relationship-centered nursing care.
  2. Use multiple ways of knowing to understand patients' experiences of health, illness, healing and dying.
  3. Provide leadership within the interdisciplinary team and the community for culturally competent relationship-centered care.
  4. Generate and implement new models of relationship-centered caring practice.

PhD

  1. Synthesize philosophical and theoretical perspectives to build knowledge and guide practice.
  2. Conduct formal inquiry in human caring and human experiences of health, illness, healing and dying.
Practice nursing reflectively, guided by theory and based on best evidence.

BS

  1. Apply foundational knowledge of theories and models from nursing and related disciplines to guide practice.
  2. Develop a personal philosophy of nursing.
  3. Demonstrate professional judgment and critical thinking in the delivery of health care guided by the best evidence.

MS

  1. Practice in an advanced role with an explicit philosophic and theoretic framework, using midrange theories and sources of evidence to inform decisions.
  2. Generate innovative solutions to existing and emerging dilemmas in advanced practice with specific populations.

DNP

  1. Generate innovative solutions to existing and emerging dilemmas in the delivery of health care.
  2. Evaluate practice using theoretical and evidence-based knowledge to improve health and health care.
  3. Practice nursing with advanced knowledge in the theory and evidential base of the practice-inquiry focus.
  4. Evaluate the relationship between theory-guided, caring interventions and patient outcomes.

PhD

  1. Contribute to the re-visioning of evidence-based health care.
  2. Lead efforts to interpret theory and research findings for systematic application in nursing and health care.
Participate in generating and testing knowledge regarding nursing science, nursing practice and health care delivery.

BS

  1. Evaluate nursing research to inform nursing practice.
  2. Integrate research findings to inform and improve nursing practice.
  3. Identify researchable clinical problems.

MS

  1. Identify questions appropriate for knowledge development in nursing.
  2. Collaborate with others in all phases of the research process to generate nursing knowledge and inform nursing practice.
  3. Evaluate nursing research critically to inform advanced practice.

DNP

  1. Critique and integrate research to provide best evidence for practice.
  2. Conduct program evaluation to assess outcomes.
  3. Design, implement and disseminate the results of a research project in one practice-inquiry focus.

PhD

  1. Conduct systematic inquiry to build knowledge of nursing, health care, and reflective care practices
  2. Use broad range of methodological approaches to generate and test nursing knowledge.
  3. Critique and refine the ethical conduct of nursing inquiry.
Engage in professional stewardship to improve interdisciplinary collaboration and nursing practice, education, research and health care delivery.

BS

  1. Engage in activities that contribute to self-development and the profession of nursing.
  2. Model the professional nursing role in the interdisciplinary health care team.
  3. Participate actively in practice settings and professional organizations to foster improvements in nursing practice, nursing education, client care and the health care delivery system.

MS

  1. Obtain appropriate national certification in advanced practice specialty area and maintain certification throughout one's career.
  2. Assume leadership in practice settings and professional organizations to foster improvements in advanced nursing practice, nursing education, client care and the health care delivery system.
  3. Share relevant knowledge related to advanced practice specialty with clients, nurses and other health care professionals.

DNP

  1. Provide leadership and mentoring in health care delivery
  2. Share relevant knowledge related to nursing practice and evaluation activities with clients, nurses and other health professionals through professional writing and presentations.
  3. Participate actively in practice settings and professional organizations to foster improvements that advance nursing practice, nursing education, client care and the health care delivery system.
  4. Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration to improve individual, family and population-based health care outcomes.
  5. Integrate interdisciplinary knowledge within nursing practice

PhD

  1. Build knowledge for the profession through ongoing program of research.
  2. Provide leadership in nursing and health care organizations.
  3. Guide the ongoing development of the profession.

Curriculum Framework

The College of Nursing curriculum model identifies theory-guided and evidence-based reflective nursing practice as the care competency area across all degree programs. Outcome competencies expected of all nursing graduates encompass both core content and fundamental values of the professional discipline of nursing. The content area of all the nursing programs, as illustrated in the vertical strands on the model (human experience of health, illness, healing and death/dying; human technology interface; environmental context of health and health care delivery; and quality and cost effective outcomes), are integrated with the values, as is represented in the horizontal strands or the model (social justice and responsibility, diversity and cultural competence and relationship-centered caring).

View the curricular framework model.

The key concepts in the curriculum framework are derived directly from the College of Nursing philosophy. These concepts include nursing competencies, reflective practice, diversity and cultural competency, relationship-centered caring, social justice and responsibility, practice inquiry foci including human experience of health, illness and healing, human technology interface, environmental context of health and health care delivery and quality and cost effective outcomes.

These concepts are related in the curriculum framework in the following way. Reflective practice, integrating theoretical research and philosophical/ethical bases for practice, is the foundation of competent nursing. Reflective practice is grounded in the fundamental values and beliefs of the profession, which are expressed as essential nursing competencies including relationship-centered caring, commitment to diversity and advocacy for social justice. These constitute the horizontal strands of the curriculum model; they are constant, process oriented and focus on the use of curriculum content.

Reflective practice occurs within the contexts of the four practice/inquiry foci that reflect fundamental phenomena of the professional discipline. The four foci, comprised of the vertical strands on the model (the human experiences of health, illness, healing and death/dying, the human technology interface, environmental context of health and health care delivery and quality and cost effective outcomes) identify content areas such as concepts, theories and knowledge that guide building of the curriculum content. The vertical strands are progressive, building on previous content areas, and ensure development of breadth and depth at different levels within the educational process. Thus, specialization within one of the vertical strands progressively increases with the educational level.

The desired characteristics of program graduates reflect the curriculum framework and are conceptualized as an individual who embodies competent and effective reflective practice, generation of nursing knowledge and leadership and social change for improved health for individuals, communities, populations and global environments. These outcomes apply to all nursing degree programs with varying emphases as required by the specific degree. They are defined further in terms of overall and program specific outcomes competencies and guide the process to evaluate content level, course objectives and the competency evaluation process.

Accreditation

The College of Nursing offers programs leading to the bachelor of science (BS), master of science (MS), doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees. The BS, MS and DNP programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The nurse midwifery specialty in the MS program is further accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). PhD programs are not reviewed by nursing accrediting bodies; however, the PhD program is regularly reviewed by the University of Colorado Denver Graduate School. In addition, all College of Nursing degree programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.