Mission, Values, Philosophy, and Outcomes

Bethel University's M.S. in Nurse-Midwifery program, as well as Bethel's Nursing Department, have a strong mission, set of values, goals, and outcomes that we follow to ensure that our nurse-midwives graduate with the integrity and skills they need to advance the profession.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Nursing Department is to provide leadership in nursing education, scholarship, and practice that reflects a Christ-like presence as we prepare nurses at baccalaureate and graduate levels to serve, with excellence, a diverse and changing society.

Nursing Department Values

• We value the perspectives of a Christian worldview that emphasize caring, service, integrity, the pursuit of excellence, and the inherent worth of all life.
• We value the liberal arts context as the foundation for nursing education and practice.
• We value education that is relational, active, evidence-based, and promotes critical thinking and lifelong learning.
• We value nursing as a profession that fulfills multiple roles and requires a unique and expanding body of knowledge and skills for the purpose of promoting the health of diverse individuals, families, communities, and systems.
• We value nursing leadership that influences the quality of healthcare for all, including vulnerable and underserved populations, within changing local and global healthcare systems.
  

Additional Values of the Nurse-Midwifery Program

In addition to the Nursing Department Values listed above:

• We value that every person has a right to be an active participant in their healthcare and be provided with accurate information to self-determine the best choices for themselves and their families.
• We value a model of healthcare that includes the therapeutic use of human presence and communication, a full partnership that honors the woman and her individual experiences and knowledge, and one that is based on the best evidence available.
  
• We value diversity in the midwifery profession as being a catalyst for culturally congruent care for all families.
• We value the normalcy of women’s lifecycle events and believe that midwifery care balances watchful waiting and non-intervention with appropriate intervention, consultation, collaboration, and referral with other members of the healthcare team to provide optimal care.
• We value formal education, lifelong learning, professional development, and research to guide midwifery practice and the development of the profession of midwifery and the education of midwives.

Nursing Department Goals

In all of its programs, including Nurse-Midwifery, Bethel's Nursing Department strives to:

• Prepare nurses with skills in critical thinking, with the ability to function in both structured and unstructured professional nursing positions, and with the background necessary for advanced education.
• Prepare students for life-long learning with a theoretical foundation based on Judeo-Christian principles and the liberal arts and sciences.
• Express within the nursing profession Christian values and leadership through excellence in professional practice, scholarly endeavors, and community service.

MS in Nursing Program Outcomes

1. Provide leadership in a variety of systems to promote high quality and safe care for individuals and communities.
2. Integrate nursing knowledge, theoretical foundations, and evidence to inform practice changes that improve health.
3. Improve practice through knowledge and use of current and emerging information technologies.
4. Integrate ethical perspectives and Christian principles in advanced nursing practice.
5. Advocate for improved health of populations through analysis of policy and systems that address health disparities and determinants.
6. Promote culturally competent systems that support the global context of healthcare, the reduction of healthcare disparities, and a commitment to anti-racism in practice.
7. Collaborate with the interprofessional healthcare team to improve patient and population health outcomes.

Nurse-Midwifery Program Outcomes

• Function as a nurse-midwife through integration of theory, research, ethical and Christian perspectives, global realities, policy-making issues, and healthcare informatics.
• Influence clinical practice through theory application and use of evidence in order to improve care for women and their families.
• Manage holistically the healthcare needs of women across the lifespan and healthy newborns within the healthcare system.

Graduate Performance

• 80% of the full-time and 88% of the part-time students who started the program graduated (2021).
• The certification exam pass rate within one year of graduation is 97%.
  
• We expect 80% of our students to graduate within four years of program matriculation. This percentage excludes students who experience extenuating circumstances such as family obligations, relocation, financial barriers, and transfers to other institutions. 
• Expected pass rate: Our nurse-midwifery program's goal is a minimum 80% pass rate on the AMCB exam within 12 months of graduation. We prepare each of our graduates for success on the certification exam and aspire that each of our graduates become board-certified within 12 months.