Philosophy

Nursing is a discipline of knowledge  and professional practice grounded in caring. 
Nursing makes a unique contribution to society by nurturing the wholeness of persons and environment in caring.  Caring in nursing is an intentional mutual human process in which the nurse artistically responds with authentic presence to calls from persons to enhance well-being.  Nursing occurs in nursing situations: co-created lived experiences in which the caring between nurses and persons enhance well-being.  Nursing is both science and art.  Nursing science is the evolving body of distinctive nursing knowledge developed through systematic inquiry and research.  The art of nursing is the creative use of nursing knowledge in practice. Knowledge development and practice in nursing require the complex integration of multiple patterns of knowing.  Nurses collaborate and lead interprofessional research and practice to support the health and well-being of persons inextricably connected within a diverse global society.

Persons as participant in the co-created nursing situation, refers to individual, families or communities.  Person is unique and irreducible, dynamically interconnected with others and the environment in caring relationships. The nature of being human is to be caring.  Humans choose values that give meaning to living and enhance well-being.  Well-being is creating and living the meaning of life. Persons are nurtured in their wholeness and well-being through caring relationships. 

Beliefs about learning and environments that foster learning are grounded in our view of person, the nature of nursing and nursing knowledge and the mission of the University.  Learning involves the lifelong creation of understanding through the integration of knowledge within a context of value and meaning. A supportive environment for learning is a caring environment.  A caring environment is one in which all aspects of the person are respected, nurtured and celebrated. The learning environment supports faculty-student relationships that honor and value the contributions of all and the shared learning and growth.

The above fundamental beliefs concerning Nursing, Person and Learning express our values and guide the actions of Faculty as they pursue the missions of teaching, research/scholarship and service shared by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and Florida Atlantic University.