Lifelong lessons fuelling a lifetime of caring
The School of Nursing believes that practical experience combined with access to the most technologically-advanced procedures and equipment prepares tomorrow’s nurses to “hit the ground running” by giving you the knowledge and the skills necessary to succeed.
Nursing is the most trusted profession in the United States. At Concordia University, you will be well-prepared to lead with ethical, professional excellence and Christian care and concern.
Core values
- Christ-Centered: We believe in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
- Truth & Integrity: We speak truth and display integrity in all our relationships.
- Excellence: We excel in all our endeavors to support the university’s mission.
- Service: We serve others in caring, helpful, respectful, and knowledgeable ways. We value authentic engagement with diverse people, beliefs, and ideas.
Strategic focus areas
- Education: Prepare nurse leaders who will shape the future of nursing through a focus on transitioning to competency-based education.
- Clinical Practice: Provide high-quality, person-centered, compassionate care with individuals, families, communities, and populations.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Advance and support a school culture and environment that promotes diversity and inclusion.
- Scholarly inquiry: Generate, evaluate, and translate evidence to improve clinical practice, and educational outcomes.
- Interprofessional Collaboration: Provide opportunities for interprofessional collaboration, education, practice, research, and policy development.
- Partnerships: Establish and maintain collaborative clinical, academic, and university partnerships.
- Faculty: Empower faculty to assist students to develop in mind, body, and spirit in service to others.
Our philosophy
The philosophy of the School of Nursing is consistent with and reflects the stated purpose and mission of Concordia University and its core values; Christ-centered, valuing truth and integrity, excellence, and service.
Human beings are uniquely created with God-given abilities, capacities, and characteristics.
We believe that the dignity of each human being is to be respected and nurtured, and embracing our diversity respects the uniqueness of each person.
Health and illness are influenced by complex interrelated factors rooted in psychosocial, spiritual, cultural, economic, and environmental factors.
Optimal health does not preclude the existence of illness; health and illness exist on parallel continuums such that even people with chronic or debilitating illness may experience optimal levels of health through adaptation.
Maintaining optimal health and preventing disease depends on collaborative partnerships between patients, families, communities, and teams of interprofessional care providers.
Patients, families, communities, and populations must be supported and encouraged in making health care decisions and in engaging in the adaptive work needed for responding to health or illness challenges as they transition through all levels of the health care system.
Driven by advanced health care technologies within an increasingly complex health care environment, nurses respond to and lead with a systems-based approach.
As compassionate caregivers, nurses participate in life’s most profound events across the lifespan, especially when people are most vulnerable.
“Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations in recognition of the connection of all humanity.” (ANA, 2021, p. 2)
Nursing is a scholarly discipline that integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the leadership role of the professional nurse in the four spheres of care:
- disease prevention/promotion of health and well being including physical and mental health and
- management of minor acute and intermittent care needs of generally healthy patients
- chronic disease management
- regenerative or restorative care
- palliative care through the end of life/hospice
(ANA 2021 & Essential 2021)
Nursing is distinctive among the service vocations in its vision, scope, intimacy, and privileged relationship to patients; and in its concern with creating and using evidence-based knowledge to help patients achieve optimal health outcomes.
Nurses must practice to the full scope of their education and training in environments where laws, ethics, standards of practice, and reimbursement regulations are commensurate with education and experience.
Our Christ-centered, dynamic curriculum is designed to foster:
- knowledge for nursing practice
- person-centered care
- population health
- scholarship for nursing practice
- quality and safety
- interprofessional partnerships
- systems-based practice
- information and healthcare technologies
- professionalism
- personal, professional, and leadership development
Our programs integrate the liberal arts education to provide a basis for excellence in nursing in an environment of active learning, scholarly inquiry, and evidence-based practice.
Student-centered learning is best achieved within a supportive environment that values diverse beliefs, individual learning styles and experiences.
Nursing faculty and staff facilitate teaching and learning through development, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum, student assessment, mentoring and role modeling.
The term “patient” encompasses individuals, families, groups, and communities across the life span in various states of health and illness.
American Nurses Association, (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Revised July, 2022.
Revised and approved by the School of Nursing 12/21. Modified and approved by the School of Nursing 7/2022.