The philosophy and organizing framework of the School of Nursing are consistent with the philosophy of Loyola University New Orleans, a Jesuit institution. Loyola University is committed to the belief that Christianity presents a world view that is meaningful in any age. The following concepts are pertinent to the study of professional nursing within the Jesuit tradition: person, environment, health, nursing, and education.

Person

Viewed as central to the purpose of nursing, the person is a unique, holistic, spiritual being who possesses dignity, worth, and purpose. The person has needs beginning with those essential to life and progressing toward self-actualization. These needs exist within the framework of selfdetermination that is manifested by the exercise of free will. The person’s free will impacts the priority and manner in which these needs are addressed. Although a person’s actions are directed toward need gratification, persons seek gratification of these needs in greater or lesser degrees depending on other impacting factors.

From conception to death, the person is an evolving, emerging being who is subject to stressors that may affect one’s life cycle, life style or need satisfaction. In constant interaction with the environment, the person functions in a variety of roles with rights and responsibilities for self and society. The person attempts to maintain functional balance within the context of environmental influences. As an emerging, becoming self, the person has a right to basic health care and has the right to self-determination.

Environment

The person exists within the context of an environment composed of internal and external components. The internal environment is the biopsychosocial, spiritual nature of the person. The external environment is dynamic, diverse, and multicultural. It is within the context of the external environment that society and social relationships exist. The interactional relationship between the internal and external environments influences the person’s health. The relationships between person and environment are influenced by the person’s ability to respond, through the process of adaptation, to changes in both the internal and external environments.

Health

Health is a state of integrated functioning. Integrated functioning serves as an indicator of the balance between the internal and external environments. Health is dynamic and occurs on a continuum ranging from functional to dysfunctional. Optimal health is the person’s highest functional potential at any given point in time. Progress toward optimal health varies because of the uniqueness of individuals.

Nursing

Guided by a Christian humanistic philosophy, nursing is an emerging practice-oriented, clientcentered discipline. As both an art and a science, nursing is developing its unique body of knowledge. Moreover, this emerging body of nursing knowledge incorporates theoretical and empirical knowledge from the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences, and the humanities in achieving its goal. The goal of nursing is to assist the client to promote, maintain or restore optimal levels of functioning. The client may be an individual, a family, a group, a community, or society.

The client may be encountered throughout the life cycle, at any given point on the health continuum, in many different settings, and under a variety of conditions. Using a holistic perspective, the nurse employs care, concern, creativity, and purpose in assisting the client to maximize functional potential. Nursing is accountable to the client for decisions that are within the scope of nursing practice and for activities that influence that practice.

Professional nursing practice includes behaviors and processes that are initiated for the purpose of assisting the
client in 1) health promotion – moving to higher levels of optimal functioning, 2) health maintenance – maintaining the highest functional potential, and 3) health restoration – regaining integrated functioning to the extent possible. Nursing practice occurs within the context of nursing and health- related theories. Critical thinking, creativity, and diagnostic reasoning are foundational to professional nursing practice.

Professional nursing practice employs a variety of roles in a variety of settings to accomplish its purposes. These roles include, but are not limited to, care giver, client advocate, teacher, leader, research consumer, scholar, consultant, and interdisciplinary team member. The implementation of these roles occurs within the framework of Christian ethics.

Professional nursing practice is being propelled by societal changes into an era of accelerated diversity and broadened scope. The dynamic role of the nurse is influenced by increased social health care, health-related ethical dilemmas, and interdisciplinary cooperation.

Education

The faculty believes that baccalaureate education is basic to professional role socialization and the practice of professional nursing. Liberal education provides the opportunity to broaden the scope of one’s world view. The combination of liberal and professional education provides the basis for continuing role development and graduate study. Graduate education focuses on the development of specialized knowledge and skills by building on the foundation of baccalaureate education. Graduate education values intellectual curiosity, independent learning skills and attitudes, and a commitment to continual learning. Preparation for advanced roles in nursing practice occurs at the graduate level and is grounded in practice-based research. Graduate nursing education seeks to foster the development of competencies necessary for the collaborative management of clients and the development of the discipline of nursing through the application of nursing theory and research to practice.

Education is a dynamic, goal-directed, life-long process that occurs both formally and informally. Education enhances the fulfillment of needs by stimulating intellectual and personal development, and education augments the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor development of the adult learner. Adult learners learn at different rates and by different methods. These learners are influenced by environmental factors affecting motivation, readiness, and participation in the learning process. The faculty believes that the responsibility for learning rests with the learner. Learning brings about changes in the person through integration of cognitive, affective and psychomotor experiences. The faculty are accountable for facilitating learning experiences and creating an environment that is conducive to the development of intellectual curiosity and creativity. Faculty and learners engage in an interactive process that enhances the potential of both.