Organizing Framework
The organizing framework has emerged from the philosophy statement and is built on the
foundation of caring.
The individual interacts with the environment in a dynamic, ever-changing way. Heredity
and culture, including ethical behavior, influence this interaction. This process becomes
the lived world of that person, and accounts for his/her response to illness.
Health can be viewed as a two-sided entity: what it means to be ill and what it means
to be well. This is perceived as a wellness-illness continuum on which the individual is
able to move.
The nurse identifies the actual or potential stressors which impact an individual, and
through the nursing process can alter wellness-illness outcomes. Options for coping with
stressors are identified. The nurse uses skills in communication and critical thinking.
The nurse is accountable to one's self and those he/she serves, always focusing on the
client as the center of practice.
Caring is the connection that unifies the humanistic (art) and scientific (technology)
perspectives. It is a bridge between "high tech" and "high touch."
Nurse caring recognizes the lived world of the client and incorporates the therapeutic use
of self in meeting human needs.
Education enhances an individual's ability to choose. We support a curriculum which
fuses knowing and being. Opportunities are provided for learning the nursing roles of
provider of care, manager of care, and member of the nursing discipline within the whole
of nursing practice. The students are active participants in this process and are held
accountable for their own learning achievement. Faculty support the students in this
endeavor.
