University of Washington (School of Nursing)

The University of Washington School of Nursing, ranked the top nursing school in the country, addresses challenges in health care, locally and through global initiatives, through excellence in teaching, research, and service.

MISSION STATEMENT

The University of Washington School of Nursing is a top-ranked component of a research university with an academic health center; a world-class school with global and local partners; and part of a three-campus university accountable to a state with pressing problems in access to education and health care. Our missions are closely related to each of these environments and each simultaneously influences our ability to promote excellence in all we do. At the beginning of a new century, the School's overarching goals are to address the challenges presented by the health care environment and to promote excellence in teaching, research, and service.

HISTORY

For more than 80 years, the University of Washington has been training nurses and breaking new ground in the nursing profession. UW President Henry Suzzallo introduced the first course in 1918: a summer class about public health nursing. Four years later, Seattle-area nurse Elizabeth Sterling Soule led the establishment of the Department of Nursing, which was among the first to be accredited by the National Organization of Public Health Nurses. In 1923, the department began offering a bachelor of science in nursing degree. In less than ten years, all nursing faculty were required to hold master's degrees.

The School of Nursing became an independent school within the UW health sciences department in 1945. It was the first nursing school on the West Coast and only the second university-affiliated nursing school in the U.S. Elizabeth Sterling Soule was its first dean. When she retired in 1950, Time magazine called her the “Mother of Nursing” in the Pacific Northwest. She was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1986.

Today, our tradition of excellence continues. Ever since 1984, when the publication Nursing Outlook conducted the first nationwide survey of nursing schools, the UW School of Nursing has been ranked number one in the country. It consistently receives more grants for nursing research than any other nursing school, and 99 percent of tenured faculty members hold Ph.D. degrees.

BSN PROGRAM

Baccalaureate education prepares professional nurses as generalists in clinical practice. The professional program builds on a foundation of knowledge in science, humanities and related professional disciplines, and has ten goals.

Curriculum is designed as a four year (180 credit) program: two years of prerequisite course work in general studies prior to two years of professional course work within the nursing major. Each prerequisite and nursing course must be completed with a grade of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Courses meeting the visual, literary and performing arts category and individual and societies category must be completed with a passing grade.

The two years of nursing course work are full-time with lecture classes scheduled during the day, and clinical hours scheduled during day, evening, or night-time hours.

Curricular themes woven throughout BSN coursework are: critical thinking, health and human functioning, care and therapeutics, person/environment fit and health care resources. Clinical experiences occur in a wide variety of hospital and community settings serving diverse populations where role development, decision making, health status evaluation, and scholarship are emphasized.

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School of Nursing Nursing School Location

School of Nursing Courses

CRITICAL APPROACH TO WOMEN'S HEALTH
Interdisciplinary examination of women's health from a critical social-political approach. Discusses issues of gender, race, class, heterosexism, etc. in relation to women's health policies.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE LIFE SPAN
Focuses on processes of human growth and development from prenatal life to old age. Emphasizes influence of growth and development on achievement of health, and how awareness of growth and development theory and research helps guide health promotional efforts directed toward persons of various ages and life styles.

DIFFERENCE AND IDENTITY ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Novels, autobiographies, films, and music are used to explore how American who are seen as white are characterized by people who are seen as non-white. Since many freshmen find campus life more socially diverse than their home communities, the focus is on young adults and college environments.

CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Application of anatomic and physiologic concepts to selected clinical phenomena. Focuses on integrated responses and functional health patterns. Exemplars of developmental and lifespan factors are identified. Includes experiential activities to enhance integration of content.

FOUNDATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING
Exploration of the profession of nursing, including past and present work of nurses, the experience of being ill and seeking health care, and the U.S. health care system.

HUMAN RESPONSES I
Examines normal and pathophysiological responses to states of health and illness. Examines internal and external defense systems, balance and regulation of body systems, and integration of these concepts in the assessment and management of patient problems.

HUMAN RESPONSES II
Examines normal and pathophysiological responses to states of health and illness. Examines internal and external defense systems, balance and regulation of body systems, and integration of these concepts in the assessment and management of patient problems.

PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS IN NURSING PRACTICE I
Emphasizes the principles of pharmacology, drug therapy, pharmacologic-therapeutic classes of drugs, clinically important prototype drugs, and drug information resources. Nursing issues related to drug administration are also discussed.

PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS IN NURSING PRACTICE II
Emphasizes the principles of pharmacology, drug therapy, pharmacologic-therapeutic classes of drugs, clinically important prototype drugs, and drug information resources. Nursing issues related to drug administration are also discussed.

CARE IN ILLNESS I
Introduces major concepts relevant to the experience of acute and chronic illness, including physiological, pathophysiological, behavioral and experimental human responses, assessment of functional health status and interdisciplinary therapeutics in common alteration across the lifespan.

GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING
Focuses on theoretical and practical information about basic and complex concepts and issues relevant to the nursing care of older people across the continuum of care.

CARE IN ILLNESS II
Continuation of Care in Illness I, further examining selected psychopathologic and pathophysiologic alterations in health of individuals in context of families across life span. Emphasizes assessing functioning in psychosocial, cultural, person-environment relationships, and health care resources to plan nursing strategies for acutely/chronically ill individuals of all ages.

CULTURE, DIVERSITY, AND NURSING PRACTICE
Analyzes the impact of cultural, social, and global factors on the health of multicultural and diverse groups at the individual, population, and systems levels. Students gain knowledge and skills to effectively respond to the health care needs of multicultural societies through non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate nursing care practice.

NURSING CARE WITH FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY
Application of biopsychosocial and social environmental theories and assessments to diagnose alterations in health/mental health of families, small groups in community settings. Emphasizes interpersonal and clinical therapies; coordination of community resources, evaluating effectiveness of changes; characteristics of nursing care in home visiting.

LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
Identification of ethical and legal issues and the ensuing dilemmas relevant to the profession of nursing and nurses as health professionals and citizens. Selected problems and dilemmas affecting nurses, nursing, and the delivery of health care analyzed using specific moral-ethical perspectives.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
Introduction to analysis of health care systems with emphasis on political economy of health, access and utilization, disparities in health, public and private health insurance and reimbursement issues. Comparison of U.S. and other national health care systems.

NURSING OF FAMILIES: CHILDBEARING AND CHILDREARING
Applies family concepts to nursing of childbearing and childrearing families. Focuses on family as context for care of individuals. Emphasizes use of physiological, psychological, developmental, cultural, and environmental theories for health promotion, disease prevention, and nursing therapeutics.

PSYCHOSOCIAL NURSING IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS
Examines psychosocial disorders/issues of life transitions from integrated perspective of biological, social sciences, nursing, and humanities. Emphasizes utilizing psychosocial nursing and interpersonal therapeutics for assessment, intervention, health promotion with individuals/families/groups at risk for experiencing psychosocial disorders.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN NURSING
Theory, current research, and practice in communication to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships with clients and health care colleagues. Lecture/discussion and laboratory learning opportunities include concepts of relationship development and disorder, interpersonal and group therapeutic communication processes, health care interviewing, and social support.

TOPICS IN NURSING
Guided survey and discussion of current literature on major topics in physiological nursing. Seminar/lecture with analysis and discussion of selected topics and readings. May have clinical component. Implications for nursing practice and health care emphasized.

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