MISSION
The College of Nursing, an integral part of the University of Cincinnati, has a mission and purpose consonant with that of the university. The faculty is committed to promoting program excellence and exerting influence in the delivery of community-focused health care. To this end, the faculty prepares beginning and advanced practitioners of professional nursing to engage in practice, education, service and research.

The faculty is committed through its educational mission to:  (1) the autonomy of professional nursing; (2) the preparation of professional nurses to function as an integral part of health care delivery in a global society; (3) the integration of information technology into education programs and health care; and (4) the generation and application of theory and research for the advancement of nursing science.

The faculty advocates ongoing efforts to maintain the college’s mission as a leading college of nursing through furthering excellence in nursing education, by recruiting and retaining a diverse high quality student population and by attracting scholarly faculty with a broad base of expertise. The faculty is committed to the college’s mission as a research institution and as a community force providing leadership for meeting health care needs. 

PURPOSE
The purpose of the college is to provide education and service and engage in research and scholarship. A comprehensive approach to collegiate nursing education is manifested in the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs of the college. More specifically, the faculty aims to provide:  (1) education to prepare beginning and advanced practitioners for diverse populations; (2) opportunities for advancing nursing science; (3) education for practicing nurses to maintain, improve and expand their competencies; and (4) service and expertise to the broader community of health care consumers.  Fulfillment of the purpose of the college occurs through consistent attention to the beliefs which the faculty holds about people, the environment, health and nursing as well as beliefs about nursing education.

PHILOSOPHY
Concern and care for people is nursing’s reason for being and is at the center of the college’s philosophy. People are holistic, complex, multidimensional beings in constant interaction with other people and society. People possess inherent dignity, worth and autonomy. They are able to make decisions, effect change and are motivated to assume responsibility for their own destiny. The relationship of biophysical, psychosocial, ethnocultural, ideologic and spiritual aspects of people are core elements of concern as nursing assists people in their quest for growth and development, self-actualization and in meeting death with dignity.  People across the life span and development levels, singularly or in groups, comprise nursing’s “client systems.” Interaction between the nurse and client systems occurs within the context of the environment.  

The environment consists of a variety of internal and external forces that are physical, psychological, spiritual, cultural, social, technological, economic, geographic and political in nature. Interaction between the client systems and the environment is manifested by health patterns. Interactions between the nurse and client systems occur in a variety of environmental contexts with the goal of maximizing health.  

Health is a dynamic state of being. Perceptions of health are determined by both individuals and society. The dynamic state of client systems is manifested by multiple end evolving health patterns. Health patterns of client systems are amenable to nursing intervention directed toward health promotion, maintenance, restoration and palliation.  

Nursing is a dynamic evolving discipline that exists by social mandate to maximize the health of client systems through use of the nursing process. Nursing is both a science and an art.  The science of nursing is the unique and expanding body of knowledge about interactions of people, environment and health. The art of nursing is the creative and humanistic application of nursing knowledge through therapeutic nursing interventions. The discipline of nursing is expressed in the development of theory, the conduct of research and the practice of nursing. Nursing practice consists of professional roles that meet the challenge of both changing and diverse health care systems. Education for professional practice is best accomplished in an institution of higher education.  

The faculty believe that preparation for professional nursing practice occurs at the master’s level and preparation to advance the knowledge base for the science and art of nursing occurs at the doctoral level. Nursing education is best accomplished in a milieu that is flexible in its approach to the teaching-learning needs of students while maintaining standards of performance based on articulated criteria of competence. Education is an interactive process of study and experience which fosters development in critical thinking, communication skills and the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. This process best occurs in a climate of mutual respect wherein it is acknowledged that both students and faculty bring unique knowledge and experiences to learning. The sharing of this knowledge and experience encourages creative approaches to problem solving and a commitment to continued learning about the art and science of nursing.