Graduate Programs Current Students

The Department of Nursing’s graduate programs build upon the philosophy of the baccalaureate nursing program and supports the University mission to serve society and further knowledge by providing high quality graduate nursing education. As a department, faculty are committed to providing and promoting opportunities for students to continue their formal education to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the nursing profession. The nursing faculty’s commitment to graduate nursing education is based upon beliefs about humanity, the environment, health, teaching-learning, and nursing.

HUMANITY is composed of individuals who are living systems with biopsychosocial spiritual attributes. Human beings are unique, holistic beings and ever-changing as they progress through stages of growth and development. Individuals’ behavior patterns and ability to function may be affected by many variables. Some behaviors are predictable, based on developmental social and biological norms, while others are specific to the individual and may be influenced by external factors that must be considered when providing care. Human beings are accountable for their own actions and decisions. An individual can be part of a family, group, or community system. Culture refers to the values, beliefs, norms, and practices of these systems. Culturally diverse nursing care appreciates the variability in nursing approaches needed to provide culturally competent care.

The ENVIRONMENT consists of an individual’s internal and external systems which are in constant interaction. The internal system is composed of the person’s psychological, spiritual, and biological components, while the external system is composed of other individuals, families, groups, and communities as well as the circumstances and physical conditions surrounding the individual. Internal and external environments are dynamic and can be modified to positively affect the health of an individual, family, and community.

HEALTH is a process of balancing internal and external systems through the optimal use of available resources to achieve one’s maximum potential. Attainment of these maximum. potential results is optimal health whereas imbalance of internal and external systems results in illness. Care that optimizes health and promotes wellness is the right of all individuals, families, and communities and is the shared responsibility of health professionals and clients.

TEACHING-LEARNING is a form of scholarship that includes pedagogical and role modeling activities that serve to communicate the teacher’s knowledge effectively to students. Effective teachings empower learners to think critically, apply clinical decision making to clinical situations, become competent, and have a desire for lifelong learning. Reflecting the belief that students learn differently, good teaching incorporates a variety of pedagogical activities and provides flexibility to accommodate different learning styles. While learning sometimes involves careful sequencing that directly builds on prior content, students also learn through experiences that help them relate new knowledge into their professional and clinical repertoire. In a rapidly changing world such as health care, where content becomes quickly outdated, learning experiences must develop students’ abilities to be self-directed, gather and analyze information, and integrate knowledge in the pursuit of answers or creative solutions to intellectual and clinical problems. Consistent with the philosophy of Miami University, the scholarship of teaching is of utmost importance in the Department of Nursing, followed by scholarly activities related to discovery and research, and. those scholarly activities that build bridges between theory and practice, such as involvement in clinical practice and professional service linkages to the community.

NURSING integrates biological principles, research, theories of behavior, caring, and nursing, to assist individuals, families, and communities to reach optimal health. Nursing is an art and a science. The nursing process, a method of inquiry and decision making, is used by nurses to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care. Therapeutic communication skills are essential components to the art of nursing which also includes the attitude and approach in which care is delivered. Through genuine caring and sensitivity to the individual’s uniqueness in a culturally diverse society, the nurse assists individuals, families, aggregates, and communities throughout the lifespan with the goal to promote, maintain, and/or restore health to the client.

NURSING PRACTICE is defined as the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems. There are three roles used by nurses to practice nursing. They include: provider of care, manager of care, and member of the discipline of nursing.

The roles of the graduate level nurse include the following:

Provider of care: The graduate systematically assesses and interprets data about the health and illness of individuals, families and communities; designs systems of care to promote and maintain the health of individuals, families and communities; uses effective communication skills for the purpose of impacting systems; evaluates the nursing care delivery system and promotes goal-directed change to meet client needs and optimize wellness. The graduate level nurse employs critical thinking skills to address complex healthcare problems and integrates basic knowledge of nursing theory, nursing research, and clinical practice to maximize the contribution of nursing to improve the overall health of individuals, families, and communities.

Manager of care : The graduate level nurse uses scientific principles to prioritize, plan, and organize the delivery of comprehensive nursing care; uses time and resources effectively and efficiently; delegates aspects of care to other nursing personnel, consistent with their level of education and expertise; assures adherence to ethical and legal standards; initiates and monitors interdisciplinary referrals to appropriate specialists, departments, and agencies to provide services and promote continuity of care; and assumes a leadership role in health care management to improve client care.

Member of the discipline of nursing : The graduate level nurse acts as a healthcare advocate; promotes collegiality and collectivity among nurses; participates in efforts to address social trends and issues that have implications for healthcare; uses interdisciplinary resources to protect and address ethical and legal concerns; applies theory and incorporates research findings into practice by consulting with nurse researchers regarding identified nursing problems; utilizes knowledge of health care policies and finance; uses resources for continuous learning and self-improvement; promotes self-evaluation and peer review processes; provides leadership in organized professional activities; and promotes consumer awareness of nursing contributions to health promotion and health care delivery.

The conceptual framework consists of an overarching dimension comprised of theory-based practice, evidence-based practice, and holistic health promotion, which is depicted by the outer dotted circle. The concepts of nursing, health, environment, and client systems form the core of the conceptual framework, seen in the overlapping circles. The concepts define the graduate nursing curriculums, and delineate the content and learning experiences within the programs. This framework is a conceptualization of the knowledge, attitudes, values, and skills perceived by the faculty as essential for graduate-level nursing practice.

Text Version: Theory Based Practice, Evidence Based Practice, Holistic Health Promotion. Nursing Provider, Manager, Member, Critical Thinking, Engaging, Understanding Context, Reflection/Systematic Analysis/ Action  Therapeutic Relationship, Engagement Standards of Care Setting  Health Life Transitions Development Situational Health-Illness  Client System Human, Psychological, Pyschological Social, Spiritual Response, Functional Health Patters  Environment  Socioeconomic Political Environment Sociocultural Temporal