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Welcome to Nursing Systems!

The Department of Nursing Systems is one of three departments in the School of Nursing. To reflect the broad array of nursing roles (leader, manager, researcher) and to acknowledge the practice of nursing within a larger system (unit, agency, health care) the following mission statement was developed to guide the activity of the Department.

Department of Nursing Systems Mission Statement

• To provide the framework for integrating client focused content and environmental context for nursing practice within complex health care systems.
• The framework includes the historical and theoretical basis of nursing;organization theory; role development; leadership; management; research; and other nursing processes.
• The environmental context includes societal, political, economic, cultural and organization influences.
• System is a group of interactions, interrelating and/or interdependent elements forming a complex whole.

Capstone Courses Facilitate Student Development

The Department of Nursing Systems faculty subscribe to many shared values relative to faculty and student relationships and educational endeavors. In all interactions with students and in all coursework, a major emphasis is placed on personal growth and development of the students, as well as their academic success and professional development. The department is responsible for courses at the beginning of both the undergraduate and graduate programs. The faculty facilitate the undergraduate students' transition into the professional sequence of courses and the graduate students' entrance to the masters program. Both undergraduate and graduate programs culminate in capstone Nursing Systems courses where students synthesize professional and liberal education experiences and apply theoretical knowledge in practice at an entry or advanced level.

Teaching Responsibilities and Faculty Practice

The Department of Nursing Systems faculty all teach in both classroom and clinical settings. The majority of departmental faculty teach in both the undergraduate and graduate programs and are actively engaged in faculty practice in the areas of client care and/or management consultation. In addition, the Department faculty consistently present continuing education offerings to broad audiences, are skilled in using a variety of distance education technologies and teaching modalities, and teach courses in the statewide Collaborative Nursing Program for the RN/BSN completion students.

Departmental Course Content

The Department, with faculty on both the Eau Claire campus and at the Marshfield site offers required and elective undergraduate and graduate courses. In the undergraduate curriculum, sophomore, junior and senior level courses guide the student in learning about the individual elements of the health care system, as well as the complexities of their interrelationships. In addition, the courses help the student to appreciate the professional nurse as a dynamic influence in the health care system in the roles of care provider, teacher, manager/leader, investigator and member of the discipline.

Graduate nursing courses offered by the Department focus on qualitative and quantitative research, as well as leadership, concept and theory development, and transition to advanced practice. Advanced role preparation courses for graduate students pursing education or administration are also offered.

In addition to the required nursing courses, elective courses at the undergraduate and graduate level provide learning opportunities in cross-cultural health, study-abroad experiences, teaching apprenticeships, and scholarly writing.

Faculty Research

Departmental faculty research interests are widely varied in their topics and methods, and are supported by internal and external funding sources. Content areas include complementary therapies, gerontological issues, nursing education topics, and health policy/decision-making. In addition, faculty regularly participate with students in collaborative research projects, directed or independent studies, and a variety of special service projects, often resulting in co-authored regional and national presentations and publications. Faculty also assist graduate students in their scholarly projects or thesis completion. Please see "Who's Who in Nursing Systems" for a listing of individual faculty research interests and areas of expertise and leadership.

Questions? Contact Mary Zwygart-Stauffacher at zwygarmc@uwec.edu or phone 715-836-4904.