Vision Statement of the College of Nursing

¶ … vision statement of the College of Nursing at Northwester State University is to serve as "innovator and pacesetter the educational preparation of individuals in nursing and radiologic sciences professions."

Its mission, meanwhile, states itself as an institution that aims to improve the health of citizens of Louisiana and to do this through assisting its students in both continuing, graduate, and undergraduate studies to achieve professional success in a responsible manner as contributive members of their chosen field in their specific community. Its values, accordingly (that feed into this mission consist of: Excellence, Respect, Caring, Teamwork, and Professionalism.

The University of Alabama nursing school, meanwhile, is more idealistic seeking to be both innovative and dynamic and to expend its mission of health care not only in Alabama but also worldwide. That is its vision.

Its mission adds to its vision by asserting itself as being research center and academic health center and that its objective is to prepare its students to excel not only as nurses but also as clinicians, researchers, and educators. It, again, reiterates its standards of excellence and repeats its intention to transport these standards in health care -- via their students - not only to their local state but also worldwide.

In order to accomplish mission and vision, they have established for themselves five strategic goals that include establishing and maintaining an innovative nursing and research center to meet workforce and health needs; to sustain and direct an interesting, stimulating learning environment; to expand partnerships and collaborations; to strive for and earn local and global recognition; and to gain access to increased resources and revenues.

The differences between the mission and visions of the two schools are distinct. Whilst the mission of Louisiana is more generic and humble -- being simply to establish standards of excellence for all of its students and to achieve that via specific, afore mentioned values (with 'responsibility' accentuated), the UOB intends to achieve international acclaim and to do so as research center too.

The school at Louisiana does distinguish itself by pointing to its intention to serve as pacesetter in the radiological department. In this way, whilst OAB seeks to distinguish itself via the area of research, Northwestern Nursing singles out radiology as its distinctive factor.

State to what degree the mission and philosophy statements fulfill the criteria for mission statements identified in Billings and Halstead textbook

According to Billings and Halstead, the mission statement reflects the ontology of the university / institution -- what the institution actually is and represents, whilst the vision statement refers to its objectives - that which it wishes to become. Both also proceed on their particular philosophical perspectives, values, culture, and ways of teaching.

Assessment of the sites of both institutions indicates that the Northwestern does seem to be more traditionally-based as seen not only from its script and format but also form its historical account and description of events that sound conventional and typical of any 'normal' nursing school not attempting to exceed its bounds. It also stresses its aim to produce 'responsibly minded' nurses.