Mission

The mission of the College of Nursing is to prepare nurse leaders to advocate and advance healthcare across the lifespan for the people of Iowa, our nation, and the world. As part of an interrelated community of diverse cultures and social groups, the College demonstrates exemplary leadership through innovative and impactful education, research, clinical scholarship, service, and professional practice.

Vision

Leaders in improving the health of all through discovery, innovation, and evidence translation.

Statement of Philosophy

We, as a community of nurse scholars, believe research, education, and service are the foundation for professional nursing practice. Professional nursing recognizes and addresses the health care needs of a global society, communities, and their members. Professional nursing education encompasses a humanistic orientation and a dedication to basic ethical principles. Professional nursing practice is operationalized through diagnosis, intervention, and outcome evaluation and the establishment of collaborative relationships with the goal of promoting the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations.

We, as a community of nurse scholars, believe that an expert faculty with varied areas of expertise is required to carry out the educational mission of the college. The faculty is committed to designing and implementing curricula in which students develop critical thinking, decision-making skills, clinical judgment, cultural sensitivity, and professional nursing values in an increasingly complex health care system. Professional nursing practice requires the application of knowledge from nursing science as well as the humanities and the basic and social sciences.

We, as a community of nurse scholars, believe that communities are enriched by the diversity of human experiences. Our community is built on a foundation of mutual respect in which ideas are shared with civility, differences are celebrated, and actions are guided by decency. We continually strive to admit and educate a diverse student body – as well as to engage a diverse faculty believing that an atmosphere that embraces diversity enhances the educational experience and provides a richer understanding of our world.

We, as a community of nurse scholars, are committed to preparing our graduates to function in leadership roles and to address the political, social, ethical, economic, and policy issues that affect the design and delivery of health care in the state, the nation, and the world. In addition, we believe faculty members work in partnership with students to facilitate achievement of each student’s educational goals. The faculty is accountable to the students served and is responsible for creating an environment that promotes free inquiry and sensitivity to diversity in ideas. Students have a responsibility to be actively involved in the education process; to identify their learning goals, needs, and styles; to become knowledgeable and skilled; to question and propose new ideas; and to use peer, faculty, college, and university resources to further their own learning. We believe that learning is a continuous process. Our formal and continuing education programs encourage self-directed learning for life-long professional development, enable the assimilation of new knowledge and new technologies to create and maintain required skills, and promote understanding of the changing environments in which professional nursing is practiced.

We, as a community of nurse scholars, are committed to the development of nursing as an academic discipline through scholarly activities that advance the science of nursing. In our commitment to the science of nursing, we acknowledge the reciprocal relationships between practice, theory, and research in knowledge development; value both naturalistic and controlled approaches to inquiry; support both basic and clinical research; encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative research efforts; and promote the translation and dissemination of research findings into practice. As a college within a public university, we are committed to faculty involvement in a wide range of service activities. Faculty members serve as role models for nursing practice, community service, collaborative practice, and health policy development. As members of the university community, faculty contribute to the operations and vitality of the college, the university, and the profession.