Mission of the Jefferson School of Nursing

The Mission of the Jefferson School of Nursing is to educate qualified individuals at the undergraduate and graduate levels for practice as professional nurses. Graduates are prepared to meet the health care needs of society in a dynamic health care environment. The Mission is carried out in an atmosphere of teaching excellence, scholarship and community service. The School's Mission is supported through collaboration with other Schools of the College, the Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson Medical College, the Department of Nursing Service in the Jefferson Health System, and other regional affiliations.

The Mission of the University and the purposes of the College commit this institution to organizing its unique, rich and varied resources to provide educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in the health professions. As an academic health center, the University places a high priority on providing exemplary health services as a basis for clinical education. The nursing faculty's emphasis on clinical excellence is consistent with the mission of the University to pursue its purposes with distinction. The University is committed to the generation of new knowledge and insights in basic and applied sciences through research. The University links theoretical and applied knowledge through the promotion of collegial, cooperative ventures among the various health care disciplines.

In concert with its mission, the School of Nursing offers undergraduate programs leading to the bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). BSN options designed for individuals who wish to enter professional nursing include the ASN-BSN Prelicensure BSN option and the Accelerated Pathway to the MSN for Second-Degree Students or the FACT option. Registered Nurses who wish to expand their education may select from the RN-BSN option, the RN-BSN-MSN option, or the Accelerated Pathway to the MSN for Second-Degree RN Students.

Graduate programs leading to the master of science degree in nursing (MSN) are offered with specialization available in:

• Community Systems Administration
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing Informatics
• Community Systems Administration/Family Nurse Practitioner (double major)
• Combined Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Acute Care Advanced Practice
  • Adult Advanced Practice
  • Oncology Advanced Practice
  • Pediatric Advanced Practice

Post Master's Certificate options are available in all of the nurse practitioner options offered.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is scheduled to start in the fall of 2007. This expands the continuum of educational opportunities for nurses offered by the Jefferson School of Nursing, Jefferson College of Health Professions, to range from Associate of Science in Nursing through the practice doctorate.

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