University of Virginia School of Nursing

It's a lofty ambition, but we share UVA's mission to enrich the mind by stimulating and sustaining the spirit of free inquiry. To what end? To understand the nature of the universe and human existence. We're not kidding: We take our mission that seriously. An excellent education is based on humanistic approaches that foster critical thinking and awareness of social and cultural diversity. Our faculty regards each student as a unique individual with special talents, needs and goals, and we endeavor to provide an environment that helps students realize their full potential, both personally and professionally. But UVA School of Nursing truly stands alone in its focus. Like our emphasis on students' regular encounters across professions -- what we call interprofessional education (UVA's Center for Interprofessional Collaborations is solely devoted to it). Our belief that nurses must look like and understand those for whom they care, and when they don't, that they are humble, culturally competent and constantly open-minded (what our IDEA initiative is focused on). And like our purposeful teaching of compassion (the work of our Compassionate Care Initiative), resilience and self-care to promote safety, quality and professional longevity, so we send nurses into the world with their souls intact. Your experience here ultimately belongs to you; it's what you get to take with you after graduation or on the first day of your new job. And your time here will remain with you always—just ask one of our many alumni. Once our paths cross, we're family.