Philosophy

This philosophy describes the beliefs of the faculty of Barry University School of Nursing about person, society, health, illness, and professional nursing. The philosophy evolves from the University mission and supports the purpose of the School of Nursing.

The faculty believes that all humans are unique beings who have intrinsic value endowed in them by their Creator.  Humans manifest a mind-body-spirit unity which encourages creativity, harmony, and health.  The essence of human unity is the individual’s culture, spiritual experience, environment, and changing life circumstances. We respect diversity, multiple realities, and individual choices of all persons. Through the process of professional caring, we place value on the life of all human beings within the context of family, community, and society.

Society is the dynamic and constructed setting within which all persons exist and interact. Nursing occurs in the framework of a global society.  Professional nursing carries with it the social responsibility to shape and transform the environment, to improve health and healthcare disparities for all people. Within society, each defined community provides a unique, multidimensional context for learning.

The faculty believes that health is the balance of mind-body-spirit which is interpreted and expressed in individuals and groups.  The experience of illness is an alteration in the harmony of the mind-body-spirit.  Health and illness are not considered dichotomous experiences; both are human experiences occurring simultaneously. Understanding simultaneity is fundamental to the diagnosis and treatment of human experiences and responses.

Focusing in a holistic manner on patterns across the life span, professional nursing involves evidence based practices that are preventative, restorative, and promotive. The three major roles of professional nurses, provider of care, coordinator of care, and member of a profession, are differentiated at various academic levels. Evolving professional roles are acknowledged and fostered.

The knowledge base for professional nursing practice is derived from the liberal arts, nursing science, and related professional studies.  Professional nursing education facilitates the socialization process, the development of values and professional behavior, and the social construction of policies which affect health at local, national, and international levels. The faculty believes that the baccalaureate degree in nursing is the entry level for professional nursing practice. Nursing education at the master’s level is the appropriate preparation for advanced nursing practice.  Doctoral nursing education prepares nurses as clinicians, educators, leaders, researchers, scholars, and visionaries. 

Nursing scholarship advances the knowledge base of the discipline by promoting inquiry, generating and utilizing research, and selecting theoretical knowledge that is compatible with our professional values and practices.  Inquiry is paramount to competence in professional practice and life long learning.  The unique focal area of our inquiry is multicultural health. 

The curricula of the School of Nursing are dynamic and based on the belief that society and nursing are ever-changing.  This attention to nursing’s influence on communities and society supports our focal area of multicultural health by providing opportunities for scholarship, research, teaching, and community service. The curricula promote and facilitate analytical reasoning, critical thinking, evidence based practice, and the ability to construct knowledge.  Quality of life and the health care needs of individuals, families, and communities inform and reform the curricula as faculty and students engage in the scholarly search for meaning and understanding in professional nursing.

The philosophy of the School of Nursing articulates with the University mission through the major characteristics of quality education, religious dimension, community service, and a caring environment which celebrates the diversity of students, faculty, and community. The faculty of the School of Nursing embrace Barry University’s international dimension, respect for human dignity, Dominican spirit of scholarship and service and commitment to social responsibility and leadership.