Our Beliefs

Revised. Oct 31, 2024

Our Mission

The graduate program in Nurse Anesthesia, leading to the Doctor of Nursing Practice with a specialization in Nurse Anesthesia, seeks to prepare qualified nurses to be highly skilled, values-based, health care practitioners in anesthesia. The faculty's goal is to prepare students for full participation in the specialty of anesthesia and to be cognizant that as members of the health care team, they function in the total care of the patient. Finally, the program endeavors to prepare students to seek a higher level of scientific enrichment and a greater appreciation of the behavioral disciplines for the attainment of their own optimal capability. Thus, the program seeks to prepare graduates who will lead, serve, and promote health and social justice.

Our Beliefs

The faculty believes that care, competence, scientific inquiry, and integrity are the heart of the profession of nurse anesthesia. Care denotes the respect for and advocacy that we provide the patient as a unique individual. Care values guiding practice include respect, integrity, compassion, excellence and vigilance in care delivery. These values will facilitate maintaining or promoting beneficial health or well being of patients and the communities we live and work in. Competence refers to the skill, knowledge of relevant scientific disciplines, and vigilance that we exercise. Scientific inquiry is necessary to the recognition and advancement of the nursing profession and its advanced specialties. Integrity is vital. The faculty expect that students are absolutely honest. This includes admitting mistakes, forthrightness with patients, families, and other team members, and a thorough standard of accountability with respect to controlled and other medications.

The Program seeks to educate students at a higher level of learning. It is necessary to synthesize concepts and theory and apply these in the production of a plan relevant to safe patient care in specialty nursing practice. Students are taught to analyze relationships of various phenomena. The student is expected to exercise a high level of judgment in the classroom or clinical area. The graduate program prepares students beyond the certification and bachelor's level of education in that the graduate can evaluate clinical practice utilizing statistical analysis and research skills. The Program far exceeds minimum standards for programs of nurse anesthesia.

Faculty expectations of students are carefully enumerated in course syllabi and clinical objectives; however, in addition to these, program faculty have additional expectations. We expect that students are intellectually curious and are sensitive of the need to study independently and in depth; to return to physiology and pharmacology, nursing science and other basic courses, to make inferences, draw upon past experience and integrate them with the present, develop concepts, think through processes and to ask questions of oneself and others. We expect that students will learn to cope with stress and pressure and not give up. The volume of work is much greater than students may be accustomed to and it isn't possible to survive utilizing poor study patterns. Memorization of isolated facts is not enough!! We expect that each student's concern and respect for their classmates will be as great as their concern and respect for themselves; if a student comes unprepared for class or clinical assignments, they will require a disproportionate amount of the instructor's time and deprive other students of their rightful share of the learning experience.

Graduate education in the field of nurse anesthesia will prepare Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to contribute to the body of knowledge in the specialty of nurse anesthesia and improve patient care through describing, explaining, predicting and controlling anesthesia-related phenomena. Student interest and commitment to research are inextricably related to a learning climate in which scholarly inquiry is valued.

Throughout the program, the student is encouraged to use knowledge and creativity, independent study and increased self-awareness. In addition, the student must readily accept responsibility for his/her actions, actively support the goals of the profession and the Program, display the knowledge and skill needed to act independently, as well as the flexibility to be a good team member.

All members of the Detroit Mercy community embrace a learner-centered, learner-first philosophy of service. In so doing, the University seeks to maintain a reputation for excellence in promoting intellectual, spiritual, religious, personal and professional development.

Non-Discrimination

The Program does not discriminate based on race, age, creed, gender, sexual orientation, color, national origin, marital status, religion, or any other factor prohibited by law. This applies to all aspects of its operations.

University of Detroit Mercy Mission

University of Detroit Mercy, a Catholic university in the Jesuit and Mercy traditions, exists to provide excellent student-centered undergraduate and graduate education in an urban context. A Detroit Mercy education seeks to integrate the intellectual, spiritual, ethical and social development of students.

University of Detroit Mercy Vision

University of Detroit Mercy will be recognized as a premier independent university in the Great Lakes region, distinguished by graduates who lead and serve in their communities.

College of Health Professions Mission

The College of Health Professions provides a transformative education grounded in the Mercy and Jesuit traditions. We are committed to prepare compassionate and competent health professionals, who are dedicated to serve and lead while respecting diversity and human differences, valuing social justice, and advocating for equitable healthcare within a global society.

Core Values of the College of Health Professions

• Learning
• Mercy
• Justice
• Service
• Community

McAuley School of Nursing Mission

The McAuley School of Nursing values the importance of promoting social justice and human dignity for all within our global community. We prepare compassionate and competent baccalaureate and graduate level nurses who are committed to serve, lead and provide quality culturally sensitive health care to diverse individuals, families, communities and populations.