Vision

-vision statements are future-oriented, purposeful statements designed to identify the desired future of
an organization.

-serve to unify all subsequent statements towards the view of the future

-brief, consisting of only one or two phrases or sentences

-mission and philosophy are crafted within the context of the vision statement

Mission

-mission statement defines the organization’s reason for being

-this stamen is the foundational assertion from which subsequent statements flow

-identifies the organization’s customers and the types of services offered such as education, supportive
nursing care, rehabilitation, acute care and home care

-enacts the vision statement

-sets the stage by defining the services to be offered, which in turn, identify the kinds of technologies
and human resources to be employed

Hospitals’ missions are primarily treatment oriented; the missions of ambulatory care group
practices combine treatment, prevention and diagnosis-oriented services; long term care facilities
missions are primarily maintenance and social support oriented and the missions of nursing centers are
oriented toward promoting optimal health statuses for a defined group of people.

Nursing, as a profession providing a service within a healthcare agency, formulates its own
mission statement that describes its contributions to achieve the agency’s mission. A purpose of the
nursing profession is to provide nursing care to clients. The statement should define nursing based on
theories that form the basis for the model of nursing to be used in guiding the process of nursing care
delivery. Nursing’s mission statement tells why nursing exists. It is written so that others within the
organization can know and understand nursing’s role in achieving the agency’s mission. The mission
should be reviewed for accuracy and updated routinely by professional nurses providing care. It should
be known and understood by other healthcare professionals, by clients and their families and by the
community. It indicates the relationship among nursing and patients, agency personnel, the community
and health and illness. This statement provides direction for the evolving statement of philosophy and
the organizational structure.

Philosophy

-states that values and beliefs held about the nature of the work required to accomplish the mission and
the nature of the work required to accomplish the mission and the nature and rights of both the people
being served and those providing the service.

-states the nursing managers’’ and practitioners’ vision of what they believe nursing management and
practices are and the sets the stage for developing goals to make that vision a reality.
-states that belief of nurse managers and staff as to how the mission or purpose will be achieved

Example: The mission statement may incorporate the provision of an individualized care as a purpose
and the philosophy would support this purpose through expression of a belief in the responsibility of
nursing staff to act as patient advocates and to provide quality care according to the wishes of the
patient, family and significant others.

-both shapes and reflects the organizational culture which is exemplified by behaviors that illustrate
values and beliefs.

Example: Rituals and customary forms of practice, such as celebrations of promotions, publications,
degree attainment professional performance, weddings and retirements. Another example is the
characteristics of people who are recognized as heroes by the organizational members.

-are revolutionary in that they are both by the social environment and by the stage of development of
professional delivering the service

T he nursing staff reflects the values of the times and the values acquired through their education
in their statements of philosophy. Technology development such as that of information systems also
shapes the philosophy.

Example: Information can provide people with data that allow them greater control of their work;
workers are consequently able to make more decisions and take more autonomous actions.

Philosophies require updating to reflect the extension of rights brought about by such changes.