Nursing Accreditation

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Department of Nursing at Briar Cliff University is to educate bachelor and graduate prepared nurses to promote health, healing, and hope of persons, through advocating for social justice within the community. Foundational to this mission is organic integration of faith, learning, and service.

The vision of the Department of Nursing at Briar Cliff University is to:

Foster holistic personal and professional development through life-long learning.
Prepare nurses who engage in reflective practice related to health and quality of life in a variety of health care settings.
Enhance collaborative partnerships with other health care, educational, faith based, and social service providers and the public at large.
Prepare nursing leaders and mentors for a rapidly changing healthcare system.
Provide a foundation for critical thinking and for the development, integration, and evaluation of new or expanded knowledge into practice.
Develop nurses who participate in ethical decision making focusing on health equity and improving quality of life.

In living this mission, the Department of Nursing at Briar Cliff University will be the lifelong nursing education provider of choice regionally for degree and non-degree programs. Foundational to this mission is an organic integration of faith, learning, and service, and is lived in relationship as the Department of Nursing, the faculty, and students develop and continue collaborative partnerships with other health care, educational, faith based, and social service providers and the public at large.

Technical Standards

Briar Cliff University prohibits denial of university privileges to students or applicants for admission on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. It is expected that all candidates meet minimum technical standards to function successfully as students.

The following general abilities have been identified as necessary to meet the technical standards for admission: the student must possess the functional use of the sense of sight, touch, hearing and smell. Candidates must also possess a sense of equilibrium along with sufficient motor function to carry out psychomotor activities required in nursing. Additionally, the student must possess the cognitive and affective skills to perform the assessment and intervention activities required in providing nursing care. These general abilities will be required to meet the objectives of undergraduate courses and will be evaluated throughout the program.

Students are required to complete a criminal and abuse registry background check, in accordance with the Iowa Board of Nursing Qualifications:

All of the applicants who have criminal conviction(s), other than a minor traffic violation, must submit copy(s) of the sentencing order(s) when submitting application materials (for licensure to the Iowa Board of Nursing).
In order for an individual to become a licensed nurse in Iowa, the person must first graduate from a state board approved nursing program.
Information pertaining to individual criminal records prior to completion of an education program cannot be obtained from the Iowa Board of Nursing. Questions concerning acceptance into a nursing program, due to history of a criminal conviction(s) will need to be addressed by the nursing program.
At the time of application (for licensure), the Iowa Board of Nursing will review each individual application and criminal record. The Board of Nursing will make the final decision regarding licensure.

Graduate Nursing Program: Purpose & Philosophy

Our Purpose

The global purpose of the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs is to prepare professional nurse leaders competent in fulfilling advanced practice nursing roles as nurse practitioners or nurse educators, while working within complex health care and educational systems and a rapidly changing society. These roles include the advanced practice dimensions of educator, researcher, advocate, clinician, consultant, and collaborator. These programs provide a solid foundation for scientific and clinical leadership in nursing, continued learning through personal study and/or doctoral education, and advocacy for the health of the public.

Our Philosophy

The program philosophy is based on theoretically and clinically directed research. This synthesis provides the foundation for fulfillment of the core competencies of advanced practice nursing. Graduate nursing education exists within an educational milieu that honors ongoing personal and professional growth and development, fosters innovation, creativity, and experimentation, and is guided by Christian principles within a Catholic Franciscan framework. Collaborative relationships with faculty, student colleagues, clients, mentors, preceptors, community partners, and other health-related professionals empower the advanced practice nurse as an adult learner to meet the expectations of this role.

Conceptual Framework

The Briar Cliff University Department of Nursing utilizes an eclectic approach as a framework for the curriculum. The advanced practice nurse approaches the investigation of health problems systematically, incorporating nursing theory, new knowledge gained through formal research and through evaluation of one’s own practice experience, and knowledge from other disciplines. The major concepts utilized are nursing, health, client, and environment.

Nursing:

Is defined as a discipline with a unique body of knowledge that helps inform nurses and others of health and quality of life.
Exists as an art and as a science. The art of nursing involves the nurse being present with others. The science of nursing involves the acquisition of discipline specific skills and knowledge, including the theoretical knowledge of nursing. Living the art and science of nursing involves presence and honoring the perspective of others.
Is a discipline that is wholistic in its concern for humanity.
Is being, knowing, and acting with caring compassion.
Recognizes cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity.

Health:

Is a state of being and becoming.
Is an inherent right.
Is an individually chosen value.

Client:

Is an individual, family, group, or community and is viewed holistically.
Is a dynamic composite of physiological, psychological, developmental, sociocultural, spiritual, and ethical dimensions.
Is a unique being who is self-directed, interactive, and free to choose within situations.
Is indivisible from the environment.
Is illimitable.

Environment:

Is all factors interacting with the client.
Is indivisible from the client.
Is ever changing.
Is illimitable.

Baccalaureate Nursing Handbook

This manual serves as a guide for all students enrolled in the on-campus undergraduate nursing program at Briar Cliff University. Last updated Aug. 2021.

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Graduate Nursing Handbook

This manual serves as a guide for all graduate nursing students enrolled in the Master of Science in Nurse Education (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs at Briar Cliff University.

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Licensure

BSN and MSN,NP meets requirements for Missouri, Minnesota, Mississippi, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, South Carolina.

Does not meet requirements for Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin

Have not determined for Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, Tennessee, Virgina, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. For contact information for each state each state’s licensing board.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), the Post-Graduate APRN Certificate and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs at Briar Cliff University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.