Nursing (BSN) at University of San Francisco

The BSN curriculum is developed around the School of Nursing and Health Professions Vision, Mission, and Values and a unique conceptual framework. The conceptual framework is layered with transition theory and symptom management and enables the BSN student to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes consistent with the profession of nursing.

Roles of the Professional Nurse

The nursing process is represented by the strong foundation in clinical knowledge pertaining to assessment, diagnosis, skills, interventions and management of physiological and psychological symptoms in a culturally sensitive way among patients in a variety of settings.

• Professional nurses make informed and responsible choices that help shape the future of the nursing profession and the future of society (leader); they are the advocates for their clients and for their right to self-determination (advocate); at the baccalaureate level, they are first-level managers who supervise direct providers of patient care (manager).
• Research is the basis of and the process for validating and improving care; the professional nurse evaluates and uses research findings and the research process to plan and provide care (consumer of research).
• Professional nurses provide, coordinate, and/or direct the care of individuals, groups, families, and other aggregates of the community (case manager); they provide a unique service that takes the form of a helping relationship whereby the helper and the helped evolve through a facilitative process of self-exploration, better understanding, commitment to change, and appropriate action (communicator).
• Caring, compassion, responsiveness to human and system needs, and adherence to legal and ethical principles are essential elements of professional nursing practice (caregiver).
• Teaching is a major role of the professional nurse (teacher).
• The nurse engages in joint decision-making regarding actions towards the prevention and/or resolution of client health problems and promotion of optimum health. The collaboration always includes the client and significant others as well as all appropriate health care providers (collaborator).
• The nurse engages in actions toward limiting the incapacitation caused by health problems and toward the prevention of recurrences of health problems (rehabilitator).