According to the coordinate mission, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are committed to providing the best liberal arts education in the Catholic University tradition. They foster integrative learning, exceptional leadership and the development of wisdom in a unique cooperating, organizational arrangement. An emphasis on Benedictine traditions and values, understanding and improving the human condition and the development of men and women permeate the learning environment both inside and outside the classroom.
The mission of the department of nursing is to provide the best baccalaureate nursing education informed by an understanding of the human condition and Catholic Benedictine traditions and values. The department assists students to integrate the liberal arts and sciences with the knowledge, skills, values, and standards of the nursing profession in the acquisition and performance of provider and coordinator of care roles in community-based and population-focused environments.
These professional nursing roles require an understanding of the human responses to health and illness and culturally relevant strategies to improve health outcomes. Proficiency in critical thinking, communication, and selecting and implementing evidence-based therapeutic interventions for individuals, families, and populations is essential for effective role performance. Knowledge and skill in leadership provides the basis for collaborative professional relationships and ongoing efforts to improve the health of the local and global community. The educational experiences prepare students for entry level nursing practice, careers in a dynamic health care environment and provide a foundation for graduate study in nursing.
The importance of learning and the learning environment are preeminent in the nursing department. The department dedicates itself to maintaining a learning-centered environment that nurtures excellence in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery, holistic and compassionate care for self and others, and the professional development of each department member. Commitments to life-long learning and learning partnerships, locally and globally, provide ongoing growth opportunities for students, faculty and communities of interest.
Previous Mission Statement (1999-2001)
CSB/SJU are academic communities founded on Benedictine values and committed to a liberal education in a Christian, Catholic environment. This foundation evokes attention to Gospel values, listening to the voice of God and an exploration of the human condition, an essential context for our baccalaureate-nursing program. We believe that this educational setting motivates graduates to synthesize professional and personal knowledge committed to leadership, lifelong learning, respect for the individual and service to others.
We believe that persons are created in the image of God. As members of society, persons are deserving of respect for their innate human dignity and uniqueness that is unrestricted by economic status, ethnic background, religious preferences or personal attributes (ANA). We believe that persons are rational and social beings who interact with their environment.
We believe that health is an integration and wholeness of body, mind and spirit that enhances the human condition. Health pursuits are subjectively determined and shaped by cultural values /beliefs, experiences and the physical and social environment. We consider individuals, families and communities responsible for and engaged in the process of health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention, and illness and disease management in the pursuit of achievable health outcomes (AACN).
We believe that the environment exists with or without physical parameters. A global perspective enhances the integration of one’s sense of meaning, social relationships, and values system. Environment and culture interact to shape a person’s perceptions of reality including health.
We believe that nursing is a service influenced by Gospel values. Nursing is a sacred ministry of promoting health with persons who are both sick and well, locally and globally. Nurses assist individuals, families and communities in achieving, regaining or maintaining a sense of wholeness through care giving, support and education. The professional nurse also serves those in need of comfort and care to strengthen them in coping with the trajectory of a chronic or terminal illness, or with experiencing the dying process (O’Brien). We believe that professional nursing practice, founded in scientific inquiry, is expressed through socially and ethically responsible leadership.
We believe that education is a lifelong endeavor. Learning is seen as an interactive process in which both students and faculty are actively engaged. Learning requires mutual respect for each other’s needs, skills, and roles in the learning process. Faculty serve as mentors, facilitators and coaches. We believe peer-to-peer and student-to–instructor relationships, both inside and outside the classroom, influence learning and that students are facilitators as well as recipients of learning.
Approved 8/23/01, revised 10/8/01