Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing

Philosophy of the School of Nursing

The philosophy of the School of Nursing is to provide an educational program of study for professional nursing and for professional nurses.  The academic program for undergraduates and graduates complements and is consistent with the mission of Wagner College.  Within the philosophy there are beliefs and practices which define the means to achieve the objectives and are expressed in the “community-based” approach to nursing education and practice.

Nursing
Nursing is an art and a science, which provides an essential service to society by assisting and empowering individuals to achieve optimal health.  As a caring profession, nursing promotes the health and well-being of society through the leadership of its individual members and its professional organizations. Professional nursing education provides critical thinking skills to assist professional nurses to become independent and collaborative practitioners who make clinical judgments and act with responsibility.  The unique function of the professional nurse is to assist individuals and groups to foster health and health seeking behaviors.  Advanced practice registered nurses have acquired the knowledge base and practice experiences to prepare them for specialization, expansion and advancement in practice, (from ANP policy statement).

Health
Health is a dynamic state of being which is formed by the individual’s holistic responses to their environment.  The optimum state of health is unique for each individual throughout the lifespan and is affected by the bio-psychological, spiritual, and socio-cultural influences on both one’s internal and external environment. 

Individual
Human life has inherent value and dignity.  Each individual is a unique, holistic being and an integral part of a family, the community, and socio-cultural systems.Human beings are in continual interaction with the environment across the lifespan.  Society is a cooperating group of individuals partnered with the community, whose individuality influences the development of organized patterns of relationships, interactions and rules which are responsible for the prevailing social order.

Environment
Cultural values, beliefs, morals and experiences affect human beings adaptation to the environment.  Individuals are in continual interaction with the environment across their lifespan.  Each individual has an internal environment consisting of all processes inherent to self.  This internal environment is in a constant state of flux with the external environment, which encompasses interactions with people, places, objects and processes.