Faculty: R. Adams-Weber, K. Distelhorst, K. Gehrling, K. Geib (Director of BSNDC), M. Horst (Director of BSN), D. Lee, L. Leon, S. McDevitt, C. Pester, L. Reinhart (Dean), S. Reagan, E. Rettew, S. Taylor, S. Weyer, L. Wyss

Philosophy

The School of Nursing is an integral part of Malone University and is in full support of the university mission statement and community responsibilities. The programs and policies of Malone University are founded upon a commitment to the evangelical Christian faith, the biblical principles of God’s love, and accountability to self and others. All of this provides a solid foundation for the Malone University nursing student to study and practice professional nursing.

Nursing is a professional discipline. It is practice oriented, based on nursing and related theory, and evaluated by ongoing research. The nursing process is the methodology used to attain, retain, and maintain system stability. The overall goal of the discipline is to improve the health care of society.

The nurse, as a member of the profession, brings to the practice setting knowledge, skills, and attitudes from which wholistic nursing care evolves. The professional nurse has a broad knowledge base and functions in a variety of nursing contexts and practice settings. The professional nurse has knowledge and skills related to current technology to support the practice and the delivery of nursing care. There are multiple roles of the nurse, all of which may be identified with at least one of the following roles: provider of care, coordinator of care, and the professional. Through the socialization process a sense of identity and commitment to the profession are developed. As a professional nurse, there is a commitment to the value of collegiality, the need for lifelong learning, and continual growth toward expert practice. Expert practice by the baccalaureate nurse is evident as critical thinking skills are fully realized in a selected area of specialty over a significant period of time. Expert practice is also evident as the nurse completes a graduate education in nursing and as an advanced nursing practice is established, grounded in theory, and based on empirical findings over a significant period of time.

Nursing education at the baccalaureate level is based on a liberal arts education that includes courses in the arts, sciences, humanities, and religion. Emphasis is given to the development and application of critical thinking, therapeutic intervention, communication process, and scholarly practice. Nursing education at the graduate level is based on a baccalaureate nursing education and includes courses that address the scope of advanced practice nursing and the depth of related theory and practice interventions. Nursing education occurs in an environment which supports the integration of Christian faith, values, and ethics in the teaching and learning of nursing. During the educational process, nurse roles and functions are practiced in diverse clinical and community settings. Scholarly practice is an expected professional goal and includes the standards of the scholarship of discovery, teaching, practice, and integration. Responsibility and accountability are essential components that are integrated within the nursing curriculum and practiced throughout the nursing education program. They are realized as responsibility and accountability behaviors to God, self, and others are demonstrated.

The above text is taken from the School of Nursing Philosophy.

Program (Student) Outcomes

1. Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, humanities, Christian faith, and nursing as a source for making nursing practice decisions in a variety of nursing contexts and settings.
    
2. Demonstrate Christian values, ethics, and caring qualities in nursing practice in such a way that personal values are maintained while respecting the rights and dignity of persons with varying physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental, and spiritual needs.
    
3. Assess health status and health potential, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate wholistic nursing care in collaboration with clients (person, family, group, community, and society) and others in health care settings.
    
4. Evaluate professional accountability and responsibility for the provision of quality nursing care including research, clinical decision making, and the achievement of outcomes.
    
5. Utilize management and leadership skills in the provision of care for clients (person, family, group, community, and society) and in the interaction with others in health care settings.

Caring for persons with needs through professional competence and Christ-like compassion is the foundation of the baccalaureate nursing curriculum. This type of caring is possible as one is accountable to God, self, and persons with needs.

The Malone University School of Nursing offers two programs whereby one may earn the bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN). The Degree-Completion Program  (BSNDC) is for registered nurses (RNs) who have completed either an associate degree program or a diploma program for their basic nursing education. The BSN Program  is for all other persons interested in a nursing career. The BSN Program prepares a nurse generalist who is qualified to complete the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) once the program outcomes are fully met. Both programs allow the graduates to pursue specialized study in graduate programs leading to the MSN degree and to advanced practice certifications.

The Malone University School of Nursing BSN Program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing, authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents, and holds memberships with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National League for Nursing (NLN).

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

The Malone University School of Nursing MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The program offers BSN nurses the option of a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track or a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) track. Information regarding admission to the MSN program is available through the School of Nursing (330.471.8166).