Philosophy Statement The safety and the patient experience will be at the forefront of all nursing actions, based

on nursing as well as personal experience. Based on a personal and very negative experience that I encountered as a patient; I made the lifealtering decision to become a nurse. This experience developed a passion in me that remains today: a patient is not just a physical body, but one that incorporates the whole being of physical, spiritual, psychological, familial, philosophical, cultural, and personal experience. The whole of the patient cannot be ignored. Golden Rule Nursing, that is to treat others as one would like to be treated, became my mantra and my personal philosophy. I believe that the role of the nurse educator has unique characteristics that differ from other teaching roles outside of the nursing community. Each adult student, as unique and diverse from one another as the patients are, must not only learn to understand the complex science of the human body; but more importantly, the student must gain insight and master the art of nursing, which encompasses a holistic approach of caring, compassion, and empathy. The students goal becomes learning to think critically to combine both science and art, and to use this unique knowledge as they care for their patients. My philosophy to teaching is simple: to design and execute a flexible curriculum to meet the learning needs and styles of the students; to demonstrate respect and reverence for all human life; and to encourage problem-solving skills while placing the needs of the patient and family at the center of all they do.