Study Nursing at St. Mary’s University
The Department of Nursing at St. Mary’s University approaches the education of nurses within the Catholic and Marianist tradition. We see education as a self-initiated, life-long, intellectual and social process with a commitment to the development of the whole person. Nursing faculty embrace each student’s diverse background and work collaboratively with them, to become caring, compassionate, ethical and critical-thinking professional nurses making sound clinical decisions.
The mission of the Department of Nursing is the formation of compassionate, caring and transformative professional nurse leaders committed to providing holistic quality safe care that is fair and equitable for all. Our vision is to graduate innovative and passionate servant leaders within the Catholic and Marianist tradition who transform health and health care systems.
Department Mission and Vision
Student Learning Outcomes
- Describe a professional identity as a nurse incorporating the Marianist values of service, peace, justice, and integrity of creation. — Member of the Profession1
- Professionalism2
- Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development2
- Practice patient-centered care integrating knowledge from the liberal arts and science for clinical judgment to make informed decisions for the provision of safe, caring and compassionate evidence-based care. — Provider of Patient-Centered Care1
- Knowledge for Nursing Practice2
- Person-Centered Care2
- Population Health2
- Scholarship for Nursing Discipline2
- Utilize effective leadership skills to ensure safety, diversity, equity, inclusivity and belonging for improving patient outcomes and transforming health care systems. — Patient Safety Advocate1
- Quality and Safety2
- Systems-Based Practice2
- Function effectively as a member of the health care team with effective communication, teamwork and collaboration skills. — Member of the Health Care Team1
- Interprofessional Partnerships2
- Employ communication technologies and informatics processes to provide care, gather data, and support decision-making. — Operator of Information and Technology1
- Informatics and Health Care Technologies2
These outcomes are aligned with the requirements set forth by:
1Texas Board of Nursing (2021). Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs. Core Competencies
2American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professions Nursing. Domains- Describe a professional identity as a nurse incorporating the Marianist values of service, peace, justice, and integrity of creation. — Member of the Profession1
Blank Sheppard Innovation Center
In Fall 2022, St. Mary’s University broke ground on the Blank Sheppard Innovation Center, supporting research, innovation and instruction in the School of Science, Engineering and Technology. The Center houses a seven-bed skill lab, a four-bed simulation suite and a multiflex room dedicated to the new Nursing Program, which St. Mary’s University plans to launch in Fall 2025.
St. Mary’s Nursing Conceptual Framework
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum at St. Mary’s University is based on the core concept of patient-centered care, supported by professionalism, safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, quality improvement, and informatics. These supporting concepts are equally important and interdependent with nurses using clinical reasoning to make clinical judgments when providing patient-centered care.
Caring and compassion are foundational not only for patient-centered care but also for creating the respectful healing environments that are hallmarks of the Nursing Program. Graduates of the St. Mary’s Nursing Program will fully integrate all conceptual components of the framework into their nursing practice.
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Why Choose St. Mary’s Nursing Program?
- Mental health early in the curriculum recognizing its focus on health and wellness for individuals
- Community-based service learning opportunities
- Focused on the care of vulnerable populations
- Focused on both the art and science of nursing
- Simulated learning via our simulation suite and virtual simulation
Core Values
The core values of the Nursing department and program are grounded in the characteristics of Marianist education.
Faith
- Recognize the whole person includes dimensions of spirituality
- Appreciate the impact of faith
- Integrate the heart and intellect to display respect given the multiplicity of faiths and culture
Excellence
- Sharpening reflection, critical thinking and clinical judgment skills
- Promote a respectful academic environment whereby students feel safe to openly engage in dialogue with faculty and peers creating a community of learners
- Expand personal views in the quest for social justice
Adaptation
- Embrace change for the common good
- Appreciate flexibility
Community
- Appreciate a culture of inclusivity
- Accept others in the same way that a family accepts theirs
- Learn within a community of faith, respect, and love
- Teamwork and collaboration
Service
- Advocate for peace and social justice
- Minister to the suffering and the poor
- Servant leaders
