The National League for Nursing has recently recognized Saint Xavier’s School of Nursing as a “Center of Excellence” for the third time.
Dr. Lisa Capps, an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, said, “I was a new faculty member last year, and right away I felt like it was a center of excellence.” Capps was a member of a group of faculty from the Nursing School who came together to apply to the NLN for this recognition. They began by reviewing why this program should be considered a center of excellence, which included a review of how the program is staying current while expanding and growing. The information gathered was put into an extensive written application that also included a DVD that’s script was written by the same faculty members.
Being named a center of excellence recognizes the effort of the School of Nursing’s faculty to give students a high quality education that incorporates the Mercy tradition, as seen through Saint Xavier’s core values of respect, excellence, compassion, service, hospitality, integrity, diversity, and learning for life. It is also a reminder that the program needs to continue to do better. Whenever a program applies for accreditation or recognition its members are forced to not only take a hard look at what they are doing, but also what it is that they can do better.
As many know Saint Xavier’s School of Nursing is seen as a highly regarded program in both the state of Illinois and the Midwest. The reason for this is that the program not only grants its students a quality education, but these same students graduate and go out into the world where they put forward the Mercy Values taught alongside the program’s content. Current Saint Xavier Junior Chioma Okere said, “The Nursing Program gives us the knowledge and ability to go out into the workforce and apply what we’ve learned to the best of our abilities.”
During their time in the program students are taught about using care with their patients as well as critical thinking. They are taught to use evidence based practice as well as current knowledge research when applying the content to real world situations. At the same time, students are learning how to care and relate to a diverse city, Chicago, and a global community by viewing the context of the situation, i.e. culture, economy, etc.
Professors in the School of Nursing strive to help students gain a sense of who they are as individuals in relation to their experiences, and then take this knowledge and relate to the experiences of their patients. Being able to relate on a level beyond the nurse-patient relationship helps nurses to treat patients as more than their disease, injury, etc.
Dr. Gloria Jacobson, Dean and Professor of the School of Nursing, stated, “We are always striving for excellence in practice and never taking shortcuts.” This statement not only summarizes the School of Nursing’s goals, but is also something that every Saint Xavier student should consider while moving forward in the world.
Catlyn Hicks
Senior News Editor
About Post Author
