1.1 History of the School of Nursing
In l975, in direct response to requests
nurses in the community, the University of North Florida (UNF) in cooperation
with the University of Florida and Florida A & M University initiated a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for registered nurses (RN to BSN). In
l977, UNF received approval from the Board of Regents of the State University
System (SUS) to offer its own freestanding baccalaureate nursing curriculum.
The program continued to admit registered nurse students and with approval from
the Board of Nursing, admitted a class of prelicensure students in the fall of
l982. Because of a state budgetary shortfall in l983, UNF temporarily
discontinued the admission of prelicensure nursing students, continuing with RN
to BSN admissions only.
The University reinstated the prelicensure
baccalaureate curriculum the summer of l986. The first three years, a cohort of
24 prelicensure students was admitted each spring to begin the baccalaureate
program of study. Once-a-year admissions increased to 36 in 1989 and 40 in
1990. The Florida State Board of Nursing approved expansion of the prelicensure
nursing program on 1995 to admit two cohorts of 36 students per year, summer
and fall. This increased to 48 per cohort in 2002.
Registered nurse students continue to be
admitted to the RN to BSN track and account for an enrollment of approximately
50 to 75 students at any given time.
In June 1985 the nursing program achieved
initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing which was officially
retroactive to April 1984 and continuous through 1993. The program received
full re-accreditation in 2001 from NLN, and in 2005 from the Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE).
In 1988, the Division of Nursing, along
with other health-related programs, became departments in the new College of
Health.
In November 1997, the School of Nursing received approval from
the Board of Regents to open a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program
culminating in a Master of Science in Nursing. The first group of students was
admitted in fall 1998. The program provides both part-time and full-time enrollment.
A certificate program, for registered nurses already holding a master’s degree
in nursing was added in 2000. Permission was received in 2005 to add a nurse
anesthesia program, and the first cohort was admitted in 2006.
In May 2002, the Department of Nursing was re-designated as the
School of Nursing.
In 2003, the School of Nursing designed an accelerated track in
the prelicensure program for those students already holding a baccalaureate
degree in another field and desiring a career in nursing. The accelerated
prelicensure track is completed in 3 1/2 consecutive semesters of full-time
study. In May 2003, the School of Nursing admitted the first 12 students into
this cohort of accelerated study, increasing to 24 in May 2004.
At his
inauguration in 2004, UNF President John Delaney outlined his vision for the
selection and advancement of a limited number of academic "Flagship"
programs within the University. His intent was to identify and promote programs
of excellence that have the potential to be recognized as state or national
leaders within their fields of study. In July 2005, the School of Nursing was
selected as UNF's first Flagship program. Flagship designation recognized the
School of Nursing's unique community-based, population-focused curriculum.
In July, 2007 the School of Nursing received approval from the
Board of Governors to open a doctoral program culminating in a Doctor of
Nursing Practice. The first group of students was admitted in fall 2007 with
the first graduating class summer 2009.
1.2 Mission and Philosophy
School
of Nursing faculty support the mission of the University of North Florida and
believe that the mission of the nursing unit reflects the mission of the
greater University community.
University of North Florida Mission and Institutional
Values
The University of North Florida fosters the intellectual and cultural
growth and civic awareness of its students, preparing them to make significant
contributions to their communities in the region and beyond. At UNF, students
and faculty engage together and individually in the discovery and application
of knowledge. UNF faculty and staff maintain an unreserved commitment to
student success within a diverse, supportive campus culture.
The University of North Florida is committed to
values that promote the welfare and positive transformation of individuals,
communities, and societies. We value:
- the
pursuit of truth and knowledge carried out in the spirit of intellectual and
artistic freedom;
- ethical
conduct;
- community
engagement;
- diversity;
- responsibility
to the natural environment; and
- mutual
respect and civility
Brooks College of Health Vision, Mission, and Values
Mission
To develop competent and caring health professionals for the 21st
century who are diligent in the pursuit of knowledge, make significant
contributions to the communities and individuals that they serve, and become
leaders of their chosen professions.
Vision
To be a leader
in the study of health and the preparation of health professionals.
Values
In the fulfillment of our mission, the
Brooks College of Health faculty, staff and students value the
following:
- Mutual Respect: We treat everyone in our
diverse community with consideration and dignity
- Service: We provide service to our
university, communities and professions.
- Integrity: We conduct ourselves in an
ethical and respectable manner.
- Accountability: We are responsible for our
attitudes and actions.
- Innovation: We encourage and support
creativity.
- Cooperation: We support a culture
characterized by open communications, collaboration and collegiality.
- Excellence: We promote the highest
standard of quality performance.
- Well-Being: We promote physical, emotional
and, social well-being.
- Fulfillment of Potential: We are committed
to development through lifelong learning.
School of Nursing Mission, Vision and Values
Mission
To educate nursing
students at beginning and advanced levels through excellence and innovation in
teaching, scholarship and service.
Vision
To
be a center for excellence in nursing education; recognized for innovation,
scholarship, and service in the preparation of professional nurses who advocate
for health and who collaboratively care for individuals, families, communities
and populations throughout the life cycle in a variety of settings.
Values
The
School fosters a commitment to values, attitudes and ethical dimensions,
including integrity, respect, collaboration, cooperation and social justice
that are hallmarks of professional nursing. The School is committed to
upholding and maintaining both professional nursing standards and a code of
ethics for nursing.
School of Nursing Philosophy
Mission
The mission of the School of Nursing is further
explicated through the School’s philosophical beliefs about the person, the
environment, health, nursing, the educational preparation of nurses, and
evidence-based nursing practice.
Person
A person
may be an individual, a family, a community or a population. The person is defined according to the focus
of care.
Environment
The environment is a complex web of internal and external
conditions that influence the health
of individuals, families, and communities.
Health
Health is the optimal fit between the person and the
environment and is ultimately defined by the person. Health is a dynamic experience, influenced by internal and external
environments, including interactions
with the nurse.
Nursing
Nurses are healthcare providers who work collaboratively with persons and other individual healthcare
providers as well as with agencies and institutions to protect, promote and
optimize health. This work takes
place within an environment of care
that is influenced by biological, personal, social, physical and global
forces that are more or less supportive of health.
The process of nursing is
collaborative in nature, with the nurse
entering into partnership with persons
to facilitate the accomplishment of mutually determined goals. The partners
share not only in determining goals, but also in joint assessment of progress
toward goal achievement and in the responsibility for the outcomes. The person is an active participant in the
process, possessing varying levels of knowledge and capability to understand
and/or manage health and illness and
to actively engage in the process.
In the nurse-person
partnership, the nurse integrates
knowledge, skills, experience, values, beliefs and attitudes to facilitate
mutual decision-making. The partnership is shaped by characteristics of the nurse, the person and the environment.
The nurse assists persons to identify and use their
strengths and resources, using problem‑solving skills and caring behaviors to
facilitate and/or restore an optimal state of health.
Nursing Education
Students and faculty cooperate in assuming a shared
responsibility for planning and implementing learning activities within the
context of the curriculum. Faculty members are in partnership with students and
sensitive to the individual needs of students. Learning readiness, self‑directed
learning, recognition of the value of past experience and education, and the
development of a problem‑solving orientation to learning are important aspects
of the learning process. Learning is facilitated when the educational environment provides an open, accepting
atmosphere in which the faculty and students work together to achieve mutual
goals.
Professional nursing
practice is based on concepts and theories from the discipline of nursing and from other fields. A strong
foundation from the natural sciences and the humanities assists nurses in developing the critical thinking
skills essential to scientific nursing
practice. Professional nurses use the
nursing process to assess, analyze,
plan, implement and evaluate nursing
care. The scientific basis for practice continues to be developed throughout
the nursing curriculum and provides
the graduate with the knowledge and skills to practice nursing in a responsible manner.
Nursing education, at the baccalaureate level, provides
graduates with the first professional degree in nursing. This education prepares the student for professional
practice and beginning leadership roles within an ever-changing healthcare
industry. It also serves as a foundation for graduate education in nursing.
Graduate nursing
education, at the master’s level, prepares nurses
with knowledge and skills for advanced nursing
practice. Graduates provide expert nursing
care to persons; contribute to nursing science; serve as mentors and
teachers of nurse colleagues; and
participate actively in planning and policy decision-making.
Graduate nursing
education, at the doctoral level, prepares advanced practice nurses at the highest professional level
of nursing practice. Graduates will
advance the application of nursing
knowledge through evidence-based practice including practice improvement,
innovation and testing of care delivery models, evaluation of health outcomes, health policy, leadership in healthcare delivery and quality
improvement, and clinical expertise for advanced nursing education.
Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Nursing is a discipline that uses research as a process to develop a distinct
body of knowledge as a basis for evidence-based practice. Research serves as
the basis for changes that influence and improve nursing practice and outcomes of care.
The professional nurse prepared at the baccalaureate
level:
- collaborates with others to identify and answer questions that arise
from the practice of nursing and
related issues; and
- is an informed consumer of research, able to appraise
original research reports, evidence summaries, and clinical practice guidelines
for specific practice implications.
The profession nurse prepared at the master's level:
- functions as a
collaborative member of research teams;
- evaluates the clinical usefulness of
research findings; and
- assumes a leadership role in promoting evidence-based
practice.
The professional nurse
prepared at the doctoral level leads practice change by the ability to:
- develop and test methods to quantify outcomes of care;
- develop clinical
applications of primary research; and
- design evidence-based practice
programs for populations.
School of Nursing Conceptual Framework
The
philosophy of the School of Nursing is further explicated through a conceptual
framework. The School of Nursing faculty have identified six core concepts for
the nursing curriculum:
- collaborative partnership,
- professional values,
- nursing process,
- environment,
- cultural competence, and
- evidence-based practice.
Collaborative Partnership
Collaborative partnership is a philosophical stance encompassing the values,
beliefs and attitudes of the nurse
that influence shared power and decision-making in all nurse-person encounters
(Gottlieb & Feeley, 2006). The nurse
enters into an active, caring relationship with the person to identify and pursue mutually agreed-upon goals. This
relationship requires active participation by both the nurse and the person to
the extent possible given the capabilities of the person. Person
participation may range from inactive person
and fully active nurse to fully active
person and inactive nurse. The optimum balance depends on
the health problem or issue, the
preference and/or capability of the person
at that moment in time, and the situation.
The aim of nursing education
is to prepare students in a systematic way for competent, caring practice based
both on clinical knowledge and knowledge of the situation. Clinical knowledge
is the theoretical and experiential understanding of people, both as
individuals and groups, and how they respond and cope during times of health, vulnerability and illness
(Gottlieb & Feeley, 2006). This knowledge also includes understanding the
complexities of health and illness,
the environment in which healthcare
is provided, and the factors that influence the processes and outcomes involved
in the collaborative partnership.
Situational knowledge comes from getting to know the person who is in the current collaborative
partnership. Within this relationship, nursing
care is provided to facilitate achievement of optimal physical, social,
spiritual and psychological well-being.
Professional Values
Professional values are the foundation for nursing practice and provide a framework for working within
collaborative partnerships. Core professional values include: 1) altruism: a
concern and advocacy for the welfare and well-being of people; 2) autonomy: the
right to self-determination; 3) human dignity: respect for the inherent worth
and uniqueness of people; 4) integrity:
acting in accordance with an appropriate code of ethics and accepted standards
of practice; and 5) social justice: fair treatment of people regardless of
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, age, citizenship, state of health or illness, disability or sexual
orientation (AACN, 2008). The aim of nursing
education is to promote the development and application of professional values
and associated caring behaviors within the context of the collaborative
partnership.
Nursing Process
The nursing process, a
critical thinking framework, is collaborative in nature and involves five
essential elements: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and
evaluation. Assessmentis the
systematic gathering of information related to internal and external environments using observation,
interview and physical examination as appropriate to the situation. Diagnosis
is the identification of the person’s
responses to health and illness. A
plan of care is developed based on mutually-determined goals and objectives.
Interventions are designed and implemented based on these goals as well as the
knowledge and expertise of the nurse,
and the knowledge, capabilities, and preferences of the person. Interventions include ongoing assessment, direct or
indirect care, teaching-learning, counseling, referral and advocacy. Evaluation
of outcomes is ongoing and may lead to reaffirmation and/or renegotiation of
any of the elements of the process.
The aim of nursing education
is to offer varied learning opportunities in which students develop and/or
enhance their knowledge related to health
and illness. Critical knowledge and skills for the nursing process include:
- communication;
- critical thinking;
- diagnostic reasoning;
- clinical judgment, and
- psychomotor skills.
Environment
The environment is a complex web of internal and external
conditions that influence the health
of individuals, families, and communities. Aspects of the internal environment
include the physiological, genetic, developmental, psychological and spiritual
makeup that are unique to a particular individual. The external environment is
the context within which people live (such as family, neighborhood), work,
recreate, and receive health and nursing
care. External environmental factors,
such as social networks, culture, economic conditions, physical environment and politics influence the health and well-being of individuals,
families, and communities. Each individual, family, neighborhood and community
is situated in a unique set of these conditions that can have negative or
positive effects on health and
well-being. The role of the nurse is
to create, restore, maintain and advocate for caring environments that
support health and well-being of
individuals, families, communities, and aggregates.
Students work in multiple environmentsof care to learn about and provide collaborative care including health promotion, disease and illness
prevention, and illness care. These environments of care consist ofhomes, schools, churches,
workplaces, neighborhoods, communities, hospitals, rehabilitation
centers, mental health centers, long-term care facilities, primary and
specialty care clinics, hospice, mobile vans, and any setting where nursing care is provided. Within these
settings and agencies, students learn about the importance of partnership and
have the opportunity to work collaboratively with individuals, families,
communities, and interdisciplinary providers. Ahome-base is an environment of care that is unique to the
UNF SON undergraduate curriculum, providing students the opportunity to work in
one place with a cohort of other students across the curriculum. The continuity
of the home-base experience is designed to complement the semester rotations across nursingspecialty areas.
Cultural Competence
Cultural competence is a
lifelong process of learning that focuses on persons becoming increasingly self-aware and responsive to cultural
differences within the context of their environments.
Cultural competence requires skills beyond a basic understanding of
cultural diversity and ethnicity. Appreciating differences in family and roles,
communication, healthcare practices, nutrition, spirituality and death rituals
among persons is crucial in creating
culturally sensitive environments of
care (Purnell & Paulanka,
2005). Nurses care for all persons who comprise varying social
mores, world views, languages, literacy skills, socio-economic levels and have
the potential to help reduce racial and ethnic disparities across all environments of care (Smedley,
Stith, & Nelson, 2002).
The aim of nursing education
is to instill a commitment to cultural competence and to assist students
to develop the requisite skill set. Critical skills for the development of cultural
competence include:
- understanding of self;
- integration of cultural
knowledge and cultural sensitivity into the nursing
process; and
- advocating against ethnocentric practices, cultural biases,
stereotypes and health disparities.
Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based practice, a rigorous problem-solving approach to care,
provides the nurse with the tools to
integrate the most current, best evidence into the plan of care. After
identifying a clinical problem or question, the nurse first considers the preferences of the person with whom the nurse
is partnering. Other forms of evidence, including practice guidelines,
systematic reviews, results of well-designed scientific studies, expert
opinions and local data, are appraised for usefulness and appropriateness. The
resulting best evidence is then integrated, with person preferences, into the plan of care. As the nurse appraises the evidence, outcome
measures are also identified for inclusion in the plan. Using the best evidence
enhances the quality of care, optimizes outcomes, and increases the
satisfaction of the partners.
The aim of nursing
education is to assist students in the development of critical appraisal skills
for the evaluation of the evidence for clinical usefulness.
1.3 Academic Advising
The
Graduate Nursing Faculty Advisors provide information to incoming students,
advise current students on programs of study, assist students with referrals to
other UNF services and advise students on academic or career plans and
problems.
When
admitted to the University of North Florida MSN program each student will be
assigned a Faculty Advisor. Each student must meet with the Faculty Advisor to
review a program of study. The initial program of study must be written and
signed by the MSN Coordinator within
the first month of enrollment. An approved program of study signed by the
Faculty Advisor is required for all nursing students. If there are changes in
the program, after the initial meeting, the student must contact the advisor in
advance of submitting the withdrawal form, and if the student is unable to
enroll in classes during a given semester, the advisor must be notified in
writing.
1.4 Graduate Student Responsibilities
Students have responsibilities as well as
rights.
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Students should assume responsibility
for:
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1) Knowledge of the lines of authority and communication in
the parent institution and the unit in nursing.
2) Participation in central councils
and committees of the parent institution and the unit in nursing by:
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a) attendance at meetings;
b) sharing views;
c) reporting back to constituents;
d) gathering data and developing
rationales for positions taken and requests presented;
e) representing the total student
constituency rather than oneself alone or small interest or pressure groups;
f) developing channels for receipt of
views, grievances; facilitating due process.
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3) Participation in search committees for administrative
officers and faculty.
4) Participation in the establishment and periodic review of
admission and graduation policies.
5) Maintenance of confidentiality where appropriate and
indicated.
6) Development of forums for receipt of ideas and diverse
views:
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a) keeping records and minutes of ideas
and deliberations;
b) distributing appropriate and printed
materials;
c) protecting the right of freedom of
expression for all.
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7) Participation in curriculum development by:
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a) attending all scheduled meetings;
b) preparing to make a contribution during the meeting;
c) sharing ideas, comments, reactions, and suggestions;
d) polling students for their views, comments, reactions, and suggestions;
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8) Participation in curriculum
implementation by:
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a) attending classes;
b) following through with class and
laboratory assignments;
c) preparing in advance of scheduled
classes and laboratory sessions;
d) maximizing all learning
opportunities;
e) resisting a focus limited to minimal
achievement;
f) sharing learning experiences with
peers;
g) striving constantly to broaden their
general education base;
h) transferring previous learning;
i) fostering effective relationships
with members of the interdisciplinary health team;
j) abiding by the established policies
and procedures;
k) assuming responsibility for their
own learning and development;
l) seeking out new and different
learning experiences;
m) finding opportunities for
decision-making, independent judgment, and self-direction;
n) operationalizing the philosophy and
conceptual framework;
o) preparing one’s own projects,
papers, thesis, and other assignments;
p) maximizing learning through
independent study.
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9) Participation in the evaluation of
the curriculum by:
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a) appraising self in relation to
stated course, level, and end‑of‑program behavioral expectations;
b) appraising peers in relation to
stated course behavioral expectations;
c) appraising the environment for
learning;
d) appraising learning resources/
services/facilities regarding quality, suitability, and availability;
e) completing follow‑up studies
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10) Knowledge of the range of student,
professional, scholarly, cultural, social, and religious activities.
11) Participation in student,
professional, scholarly, cultural, social, and religious activities.
12) Determination of need of seeking
out appropriate assistance and follow‑through with payback commitment for
financial aid.
13) Participation in the developing,
reading, circulating, evaluating, and revising of institutional and unit
services.
14) Utilization of appropriate
advisement and counseling services.
15) Maintenance of their own records‑completeness,
periodic review, initiating changes, following protocol for release,
extension and sharing.
16)
Protection of institutional and unit property by:
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a) assuring privacy;
b) abating noise;
c) minimizing waste;
d) disposing of waste and refuse properly;
e) preventing damage and destruction.
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17) Freedom of access, for adjudication, rights and
responsibilities of others.
18) Enhancement
of health and security measures.
19) Appraisal
of existing institutional and unit services to determine suitability,
quantity, and quality.
20) Determination
of need for additional institutional and unit services.
21) Elimination
of obsolete services.
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1.5 Graduate Faculty in the Nursing Program
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Irma Ancheta, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
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Prevention
of Cardiovascular Diseases, Women and Heart Disease, Asian American Women,
Filipino American Women, Quality of Life, Heart Failure |
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Michele Bednarzyk, DNP, ARNP
Assistant Professor
MSN Program Director
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Kathaleen C.
Bloom, PhD, CNM
Professor
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Adult
education, evidence-based practice, women's health |
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Gerard Hogan, DNSc, CRNA
Assistant Professor
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Margaret (Bonnie) Holder, PhD, ARNP
Assistant Professor
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Quality Safety Education in Nursing
facilitator and trainer-University of North Florida.
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M. Cathy Hough, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
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Applied Nursing Ethics, Nursing Management & Leadership, Learning & Instruction - Adult Education, Adult Health & Critical Care Nursing |
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Barbara Kruger,PhD, MPH, MS, RN
Associate Professor
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Carol Ledbetter, PhD, ARNP
Professor
DNP Program Director; Colonel, USAF (RET)
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Higher Education - Program Evaluation; Graduate Education, Accreditation - National; Department of Education, Health - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse; Primary Care, APRN Consensus Model, Research - Human Subjects, Gay & Lesbian Issues, Veterans Health, Pandemics |
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Comeaux, Judith
Assistant Professor
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Li Loriz, PhD, ARNP
Associate Professor
Director, School of Nursing
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Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, HIV, Chronic Illness
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Jane McCarthy, PhD, CRNA, FAAN
Professor
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Evidence Based Practice, Pulmonary Physiology, Patient Safety, Anesthesia Patient Safety,Malignant Hyperthermia |
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John McDonough, EdD, CRNA
Professor
Nurse Anesthesia Program Director
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Anesthesiology and pain management
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Jan Meires, EdD, ARNP
Associate
Professor |
Adult
and Family Nurse Practitioner, Cardiovascular Clinical Specialist, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Education, Research Methods, Evidence Based
Practice, Writing for publication |
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Patrick Monaghan, PhD, MT, (ASCP). CLS, SBB
Professor
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Medical
Laboratory Science: Clinical Research, Blood Transfusion
Practices, Laboratory Measurements, Health Education |
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Barbara Olinzock, EdD, RN
Associate
Professor |
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Nursing Science and Evidence-based research Rehabilitative
Nursing |
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Doreen Radjenovic, PhD, ARNP
Associate Professor
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Kathy Robinson, PhD, RN, CCRN
Associate Professor
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Critical Care Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Family Caregiving, Nursing Theory, Clinical pathophysiology, Qualitative
Methodology |
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Connie Roush, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
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Community-based
transformational learning, health geography in nursing, families in health and
illness, community health promotion, home health nursing practice, qualitative
research |
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Debi Wagner, PhD, CNM
Assistant Professor
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Patient
Satisfaction; maternity nursing; nurse-midwifery |
1.6 References
Gottlieb, L.N., & Feeley, N. (2006). The collaborative partnership approach to
care: A delicate balance. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Purnell, L.D., & Paulanka, B.J. (2005). Guide to culturally competent health care. Philadelphia: Davis.
Smedley, B.D., Stith, A.Y., & Nelson, A.R.
(Eds). (2002). Unequal treatment: Confronting racial and
ethnic disparities in health care. Washington, DC: The National Academies
Press.
