Doctor of Nursing Practitioner (DNP) and Post Graduate Certificate Academic Policies - Mission and Vision, Core Values, and Inclusive Excellence

Sep 21, 2026

Academic policies for the Doctor of Nursing Practitioner (DNP) and Post Graduate Certificate are presented through the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s mission and vision, core values, and standards of professional conduct. The document outlines a Jesuit Catholic educational purpose focused on compassionate, innovative, diverse nurse leadership and social justice. Core values include excellence, faith and religious tradition, service promoting justice, values-based leadership, and global awareness. It also specifies expectations for integrity, adherence to manual policies, acceptance of the student handbook, and an inclusive excellence commitment supporting diverse learners and protected communities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Mission and Vision

Core Values and Hallmark Jesuit Education Characteristics

Standards of the Profession

Inclusive Excellence Statement

Doctor of Nursing Practitioner (DNP) and Post Graduate Certiﬁcate Academic Policies 1 DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTITIONER ( DNP) AND POST GRADUATE CERTIFICATE ACADEMIC POLICIES Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) Mission and Vision Our Mission at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is to advance the science of nursing and provide a transformative education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition that prepares compassionate, innovative, diverse nurse leaders who provide care for the whole person and partner locally and globally to promote social justice and health for all. OUR VISION at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is to be a preeminent leader in transforming the health of persons, families, communities, and populations, while promoting social justice, health equity and quality care for all. More information can be found here ([https://www.luc.edu/](https://www.luc.edu/)[ ](https://www.luc.edu/)[nursing/about/missionvisioncorevalues/](nursing/about/missionvisioncorevalues/)) . Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Core Values The MNSON is committed to the ﬁve “hallmark characteristics of a Jesuit education ” These characteristics provide the foundation for our core values. The MNSON core values challenge administrators, faculty, students, communities, and partners to think differently. Graduating professionals who are technically proﬁcient is necessary, but notsufﬁcient. Our graduates will shape the future of health and health care. To prepare them, we implement the following values: “Commitment to Excellence: Applying well-learned lessons and skills to achieve new ideas, better solutions and vital answers ” This is what it means in the MNSON: • Promoting dialogue, critical thinking, and the discernment of meaning in the process of enhancing health of persons and communities, both locally and globally. • Fostering an academic environment that supports and guides students in their transformation toward becoming health care leaders. “Faith in God and the religious tradition: Promoting well-formed and strongly held beliefs in one’s faith tradition to deepen others’ relationship with God ” This is what it means in the MNSON: • Acknowledging that humans are physical, psychosocial, and spiritual beings. • Recognizing that spirituality affects health. • Respecting that spirituality is lived out differently through diverse faiths, beliefs, and religious traditions. • Creating a safe place to search for meaning in the process of discovery and transformation, as well as social change. • Respecting our potential for achievement while accepting our human limitations in the pursuit of good. “Service that promotes justice: Using learning and leadership in openhanded and generous ways to ensure freedom of inquiry, the pursuit of truth and care for others ” This is what it means in the MNSON: • Committing to social justice by engaging individuals, families, and communities, both locally and globally, to improve and promote health. • Recognizing that health disparities exist; those with the greatest need and with the least access hold a higher priority for action. • Engaging in research and application of evidence-based practice or best practices that limit health disparities. “Values-based leadership: Ensuring a consistent focus on personal integrity, ethical behavior in business and in all professions, and the appropriate balance between justice and fairness ” This is what it means in the MNSON: • Fostering synergistic collaborations within and between professions, disciplines, programs, and partners. • Respecting the dignity and fundamental rights of all. • Embracing the tension that exists between competing priorities (e.g., mission-driven, ﬁnancially-driven, Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services) when making choices. • Accepting responsibility to make choices and act through discernment, being wise stewards of resources. • Actively seeking diversity in people,

FAQs

What is the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s mission?

Advance nursing science and deliver transformative Jesuit Catholic education that prepares compassionate, innovative, diverse nurse leaders who provide whole-person care and partner locally and globally to promote social justice and health for all.

What core values guide MNSON education and leadership?

Commitment to Excellence, Faith in God and religious tradition, Service that promotes justice, Values-based leadership, and Global Awareness, each supported by specific expectations for learning and practice.

How does the document define inclusive excellence?

It emphasizes building intrapersonal and interpersonal awareness, transforming curriculum through inclusive pedagogy, and creating inclusive learning environments that recognize and support diversity across social dimensions protected by applicable law.

Sep 21, 2026

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