Running head: MSN PROGRAM AND THE MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES 1

MSN Program and the Mission, Vision, and Values

MaryAnne Glasier

University of Saint Mary

MSN PROGRAM AND THE MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES 2

MSN Program and the Mission, Vision, and Values

The University of Saint Marys (USM) mission is for students from a diverse

background to discover their potential for a nursing career and to seek the education offered and

to build on ones knowledge to serve a growing society (USM, 2017). Both the MSN program

and the USM offer students the opportunity to improve their knowledge and build on

skills. Students will acquire the advancement needed to become leaders and add quality to such

a diverse and rising population to improve on health needs.

Curriculum Development

When developing an educational nursing curriculum, the mission, vision, philosophy, and

principles of the nursing school need to be considered for the curriculum developer to have an

understanding and provide a congruency in the nursing program (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015).

When this happens, there is a clear delineation that a schools curriculum should follow to

achieve these goals. The USM has a program that is satisfying the core values of community,

respect, justice, and excellence in the MSN program. I have found that from my first class over a

year ago and now that our community of our course mates and professors have integrated the

respect of each persons identity and beliefs.

Curriculum development is a skill learned and for teaching and evaluation of student

learning (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). As a student in the MSN program the mastering of

curricula design is essential, and without doing so then nursing education cannot advance

(Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). Knowledge is a core competency in all levels of education, and

without skills that have been developed such as research, technology, and collaboration of other

professional students, then competency could not be achieved.

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One area of curriculum change is the concept-based curriculum. Many schools are

steering their teaching methods and curriculum development to this method. The concept-based

approach is a way to organize knowledge such as categories or themeshealth/illness such as

oxygenation, infection, pain, or reproductive (Cannon & Boswell, 2016, p. 47). This method

helps to develop critical thinking skills that a professional nurse needs to be able to apply after

graduation.

Another change in curriculum development is in response to our aging population and the

need to consider that there will be a larger population will be cared for by family or the

communities, such as long-term care facilities. The curriculum we teach will be required to be

adjusted to focus on patients that will need to have palliative, end-of -life care, and in chronic

health issues as the population changes (Billings & Halstead, 2016).

Mission

The USM MSN mission is to build upon the knowledge and skills and values of the

baccalaureate-prepared nurse (The University of Saint Mary course description NU 727 in

Engage website, n.d., para. 3). Our courses have prepared us to utilize our advanced nursing

skills to become leaders of change and visionaries of education for furthering our profession as

nurse educators. All our courses thus far have centered on the 5 Cs of Caring (Roach, 1992) as

this is one of the objectives in our program outcomes, as well as ways to utilize evidence-based

education that is based on patient centeredness and is culturally responsive.

The USM mission statement educates students of diverse backgrounds to realize their

God-given potential and prepares them for value-centered lives and careers that contribute to the

well-being of our global society (The University of Saint Mary course description NU 727 in

Engage, n.d., para. 5). The courses that are required have all centered on values, of respecting the
MSN PROGRAM AND THE MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES 4

dignity of every person and how they relate to community, respect, justice, and excellence to

improve our diverse world, these being our USM values.

Vision and Values

An example of an assignment that utilizes these outcomes, values, and visions is the

collaborative curriculum project. The students in our group all come from various backgrounds

and skill sets, we can collaborate and are putting together our curriculum assignment by having a

weekly (or more) pow-wows on the phone or by email. We are dividing up the work and

utilizing the strengths of each of us to produce a collaborative curriculum design.

A vision of interprofessional collaboration and alternative learning practices meet the

needs of all learners is a National League for Nursing (NLN, 2012) and a program outcome for

our MSN program. By having groups of students, nurses, and members of other disciplines such

as pharmacy, this will provide differing perspectives, encourage teamwork to design curriculums

that will provide evidence-based practice to improve the care of patients we are teaching.

Conclusion

I now see after being towards the last four classes how I have grown positively from the

classes towards being a nurse educator. Having the opportunity to address current events in our

classes such as political, human rights, healthcare policies, eldercare, and palliative and end of

life care are relevant to our education and our students. The classes taught have each developed

my skill levels and knowledge base immensely, as curriculum development should cover many

different learning processes that reflect the USMs philosophy, mission, and values.

I believe that being informed of the political nature of health care from our course Health

Care Policy & Ethics has made me take notice more in the politics of healthcare in our country

and that of other nations giving me a sense of where activism for justice for all Americans should
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be heard and understood. We all have a right to equal healthcare, not just the privileged or those

with employment that helps pay for medical benefits, the elderly or unemployed with Medicaid

and Medicare. Becoming an advocate for patients rights for equitable healthcare has made me

into a better nurse for our community, and this will translate into a better nurse educator. Our

education has broadened the excellence of the nursing profession and included the justice of

student, peers, educators, and the entire educational community is treated fairly with a

commitment to our goal of becoming distinguished educators of future nurses.

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References

Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2016). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (5th ed.). St.

Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Cannon, S., & Boswell, C. (2016). Evidence-based teaching in nursing: A foundation for

educators (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Iwasiw, C. L., & Goldenberg, D. (2015). Curriculum development in nursing education (3rd ed.).

Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

National League for Nursing (2012). The scope of practice for academic nurse educators. New

York, NY: National League for Nursing.

Roach, S. (1992). Attributes of professional caring. The human act of caring: A blueprint for the

health professions, 57-67. Retrieved from

https://engage.stmary.edu/learn/pluginfile.php/159359/mod_page/content/13/Roach_artic

le.pdf

The University of Saint Mary course description NU 727 in Engage website. (n.d.).

https://engage.stmary.edu/learn/mod/book/view.php?id=199317