As an integral part of Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT), the School of Health Sciences shares the Institute’s mission and vision. Specifically, it is committed to develop health resources which are socially responsive to human welfare through the implementation of a strong, dynamic, values-oriented, community based curriculum. It shall integrate state of the art technology to achieve academic excellence in an environment conducive to learning and caring.
The School of Health Sciences shall:
- Equipped with skills and values
- Competent to actively participate and assume leadership in their chosen field of endeavor
- Able to meet the global technological needs
- Catalysts to economic growth and development
The School of Health Sciences, College of Nursing, was conceived by Mrs. Helen Yuchengco Dee, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. She presented the concept to Dr. Reynaldo Vea, president of the MIT. Subsequently, a feasibility study was undertaken the results of which favored the opening of the school.
Since its founding on January 25, 1925, MIT has pioneered in technical education. Thus, many alumni questioned the opening of a School of Health Sciences, specifically the incorporation of nursing as a course in the academic programs. In answer to their various questions, Dr. Vea wrote the following message to the alumni:
“In July 2004, the institute will start offering a baccalaureate degree program in nursing at its Makati campus under the newly created San Lorenzo Ruiz School of Health Sciences. The dean of this school is Mrs. Deogracia M. Valderrama, BSN, MAN, MHA, the immediate former director for nursing of the UP-PGH and a faculty member of the University of the Philippines College of Nursing. She is multi-awarded and well-respected in academic and nursing circles, nationally and internationally. In the best Mapua tradition of excellence we have carefully crafted a rigorous curriculum, identified the best prospects for faculty and made substantial initial investments in facilities to assure a quality Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. The admissions process is also being carefully devised to assure high and appropriate qualifications for incoming students. We aim to eventually be among the best in the nation.
Why nursing?
There is no denying the large global and local demand for nurses. Indeed it presents a clear opportunity for further growth of Philippine schools and an opportunity of employment for our countrymen. For the institute the offering of a nursing program will provide an additional layer of security for long-term stability against quick-changing enrolment patterns as much as it will provide an additional means of fulfilling a social responsibility to develop the country¹s human resources.
Out of the comfort zone
Mapua has always been equated to engineering. Given this long-held and strong association in the mind of the Mapua community and the public, the addition of nursing to Mapua¹s offerings will certainly be jarring. Amidst consternation or even disbelief for some, we will all have to move away from the comfort of the familiar to the uncertainties of the new.
Sharpness of focus
But, even with such movement, let it be said that the sharpness of focus need not be compromised. The way the institute is organized and operated, with empowerment of the various schools, allows it to focus on many academic programs all at once. The addition of nursing should perturb the system no more than the addition of biotechnology does or the addition of engineering management will. We can still keep our eyes on the ball in fact several balls up in the air all at once as we have been doing all these years.
Clarity of vision
The vision to be an international center of excellence in integrated engineering, architecture and IT. Education² likewise remains. Just as focus is not diffused, so the vision remains clear even if we now must simultaneously strive to be an international center of excellence in nursing education.
The mission likewise simply takes on another dimension as it is applied to another realm of knowledge. Otherwise the call to generate, transfer, apply and preserve knowledge still resounds.
A new association
With offerings of degrees in Engineering, Science, Architecture, IT., Management and Health Science the Institute can now seriously consider moving towards eligibility for university status.
If and when we attain that status everyone will simply have to make a new association - of Mapua being synonymous with excellence in education. Period. This may take a while, but it may well be worth it.”
The College of Nursing, after complying 100% with the requirements of the Commission on Higher Education Department (CHED) and the Board of Nursing, was granted the government permit (CHED-NCR No. C-071 Series 2004) on March 15, 2004. In July 2004, MIT offered its first academic baccalaureate program in nursing for high school graduates.
To get the program started, MIT hired a Dean on December 7, 2003. Two hundred six (206) students enrolled in the BSN program when the college formally opened on July 14, 2004.
The College of Nursing believes in the dignity and worth of the individual, his social, spiritual and cultural heritage, and innate capacity to develop holistically, if given the opportunity. Thus, the students shall be encouraged to take advantage of the school’s extensive resources and to reflect and achieve this in their personal life and relationship with clients (individual, family, group, community) across life span irrespective of race, gender, creed, or socio-economic status.
The philosophy of the College of Nursing is anchored on the belief that its major role is to prepare a well-integrated, values-oriented human being and professional nurse; it hopes to achieve this though its balanced general education and values-oriented curriculum and nursing program.
The BSN program shall prepare practitioners of nursing as generalists capable of providing health care to meet the needs of clients, their families and others in institutional and community settings.
The College believes that professional nursing involves care and support of clients that is based on evidence-based practice and well-established knowledge of nursing phenomena. It shall encourage and require its students, faculty and staff to conduct and participate in inter and intra-disciplinary research that are of concern in the delivery of health care in the Philippines.
The College of Nursing, recognizing the valuable and viable role which nurses play in the delivery and management of community health-care systems, shall participate in the development of programs and researches that improve the quality of nursing practice and help achieve optimum health levels of clients and their families.
The College shall endeavour to develop programs that promote MIT’s tradition of excellence in education, research and community service. These programs are the following:
- Teaching and Curriculum Development
- Continuing Education ( Human Resource Capability Building)
- Organizational Development
- Community Service
- To realize Research and Creative Writing
The objectives of the above programs, committees with their respective head and members shall be formed by the Dean.