Mission Statement 

The primary mission of the Department of Nursing is to offer programs of study in nursing science at the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral levels that prepare graduates from entry into professional nursing practice to advanced levels of nursing practice and knowledge. Through clinically relevant teaching, learning, research and active application of evidence-based practice, students are prepared to practice competently as providers and managers of care, and members of the profession in a complex, diverse and evolving healthcare environment.

The Department of Nursing shares the commitment of the College of Natural and Health Sciences and the University to teaching, research and service; preparing each student as a life-long learner and as a health professional providing quality, safe, evidence-based and compassionate health care to the citizens of Florida, the nation and the global community.

Program Goals

• Prepare BSN graduates as generalists in professional nursing who advocate for and provide safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care that reflects ethical and legally sound clinical judgment and interprofessional collaboration to diverse individuals, families, communities and populations across the lifespan.
• Prepare MSN graduates with strong interprofessional collaboration, critical thinking and decision-making skills as advanced practice registered nurses in family primary care or adult/gerontology primary care.
• Prepare DNP graduates to function at the most advanced level of nursing practice.
• Promote academic and professional student success through the academic rigor of our programs, integrating best practices in nursing education and addressing the needs of today’s diverse learners.
• Promote student inquiry into advanced study and nursing scholarship through life-long learning strategies.
• Contribute to the University, the community and profession of nursing with a faculty that engages in leadership, scholarship, and practice activities.
• Build educational offerings and programs that meet the evolving needs of students and the health care environment.

Student Learning Outcomes

The program outcomes are the expected student learning outcomes, reflecting characteristics of the expected graduate of the undergraduate and graduate programs and the key concepts selected by the UT nursing faculty. The nursing program’s student learning outcomes (SLOs) describe the graduate as one who will be able to:

BSN:

• Provide individual and population-focused care incorporating concepts of health promotion, disease and injury prevention.
• Provide care integrating evidence-based practice with clinical reasoning and critical thinking as the foundation for nursing practice.
• Integrate theories and concepts from nursing, the liberal arts, sciences and humanities into professional nursing practice.
• Apply professional, legal, and ethical values and standards in the provision of globally congruent care that acknowledges cultural differences, and the special needs of at-risk, underserved and vulnerable populations.
• Use management and leadership concepts in decision-making and advocating for the provision of safe and quality nursing care.
• Integrate information and technology to achieve effective communication and promote collaboration among patients and interdisciplinary teams across the health care continuum.
• Identify threats to safety and develop strategies to minimize risk of harm to individuals as they transition through the continuum of care.
• Apply knowledge of health care policy, trends, issues and strategies as they relate to the provision of optimal patient care and outcomes.

MSN:

• Integrate nursing and related sciences into the delivery of advanced nursing care for diverse populations to promote health and to prevent disease and injury for families, communities and global health.
• Employ evidence-based knowledge in the clinical management and outcomes evaluation of advanced practice patient-centered care.
• Synthesize broad ecological, global and social determinants of health: principles of genetics and genomics; bioethical principles; and epidemiologic data to design and deliver lawful evidence-based, culturally relevant clinical interventions.
• Apply organizational/systems leadership knowledge and skills in the provision of culturally responsive, high-quality nursing care and health-care team coordination, with oversight and accountability for care delivery and outcomes.
• Analyze current and emerging technologies to support safe practice environments, promote inter-professional collaboration and optimize patient safety, cost-effectiveness and quality health outcomes.
• Contribute to the integration of healthcare services within systems to promote safety and quality of care to improve patient outcomes and reduce fragmentation of care.
• Analyze how health policies influence health care practices, and employ skills in economics, business principles and systems in the design, delivery and evaluation of care.
• Demonstrate the essential values of the advanced practice role characterized by a commitment to leadership, continued learning, legal and ethical decision-making, and scholarly work.

DNP:

• Integrate nursing science and theory with knowledge from ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical and organizational sciences to develop and evaluate advanced nursing practice.
• Develop and evaluate practice-level and/or systemwide initiatives incorporating safety, ethics, organizational, political and economic science principles to improve health outcomes within healthcare systems.
• Design and implement processes that use the best evidence available to collaborate, conduct, translate and disseminate research to guide improvements in nursing practice and outcomes of care.
• Design, use and evaluate information systems and technology, considering ethical and legal implications, to support, improve and transform health care.
• Assume leadership roles in the analysis, development and evaluation of healthcare policies through advocacy, teaching, and active participation in policy-making.
• Promote collegial and collaborative relationships with interprofessional teams that improve patient and population outcomes.
• Assume leadership roles in evidence-based health promotion and risk reduction/illness prevention practices in individual, aggregate and population health.
• Demonstrate skills in advanced practice roles through the synthesis of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral, sociopolitical, cultural, economic and nursing science knowledge as appropriate for area of specialization.