The Fisk University Nursing program will share/utilize the VUSN Nursing Program philosophy. The Nursing Program fosters excellence in both scholarship and service and believes that a liberal education must include both liberal arts and professional courses.

The Nursing Program believes the four concepts of the nursing profession (person, environment, health, and nursing) are integral to the development of baccalaureate and advanced practice nurses and as such strives to prepare graduates who recognize and respect each person's intrinsic worth. The Nursing Program stresses the importance of the individual and the individual's unique identity, which is composed of an interacting and interdependent physical structure, mind and spirit. The Nursing Program also recognizes the importance of the environment and the intimate relationship that exists between the constantly changing environment and the person. The environment consists of all conditions, circumstances, and influences that exist outside one's social system's boundary and determines, to a degree, lifestyle and state of health. Development of the individual occurs throughout life within a pluralistic and culturally diverse society. The Nursing Program further believes that. . . Health is a dynamic state of being in which the developmental and behavioral potential of an individual is realized to the fullest extent possible. Individuals have the right to pursue the level of health perceived by them to be optimal, taking into account their social and cultural definition of health. The level of health that individuals can attain is directly influenced by the level of health of the families and communities of which they are a part.

Nursing is a professional discipline that seeks to understand phenomena and predict circumstances that affect the health of individuals, families, groups, and communities. The discipline of nursing encompasses science, ethics, politics, and the heritage of nursing. The central focus of the discipline is the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, families, and groups as they respond to actual and potential health problems. The practice of nursing is an art and a science used to help individuals improve their health potential.

The profession of nursing builds on a liberal education, and a university provides the best possible environment for this kind of education. A liberal education includes the arts and humanities as well as social, biological, and physical sciences. The synthesis of knowledge from these disciplines, as well as nursing, will enhance the ability of nurses to understand self, relationships with others, the nature of communities, other cultures, the physical world, current issues, and human values. The study of diverse disciplines contributes to the ability to think analytically, reason logically, and communicate effectively. Students are expected to continue growing in intellectual and communication skills, using their liberal education to deepen their understanding of nursing and health. University-wide interdisciplinary activities are actively sought for the intellectual exchange and stimulation they provide.

The nursing program leading to the BSN at Fisk University constitutes an arena for excellence in nursing practice, as well as a forum for discussion and analysis of issues that affect health care, consumers, the nursing profession, and society. The Fisk Nursing Program and the VUSN Nursing Program adhere to the American Nurses Association Code for Nurses, which is based on a belief about the nature of individuals, nursing, health, and society. According to the code, recipients and providers of nursing services are viewed as individuals and groups who possess basic rights and responsibilities and whose values and circumstances command respect at all times. The Code and its interpretation provide guidance for the preparation of students. It also ensures the subsequent practice of nursing according to the ethical obligations of the profession and the expectations for delivery of quality care.