The Department of Nursing of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens was founded in 1983 and is one of the Departments of the Faculty of Health and Caring Professions. The External Evaluation Committee was impressed by the high quality theoretical and clinical teaching offered, the motivation of the people power and the innovative practices incorporated in the curriculum (Source: External Evaluation Report, June 2011). The academic staff of the department constitutes a body of full-fledged professionals and active researchers who share an unwavering and unifying dedication to serving others through excellence in education, discovery of new knowledge and improvement of care.

Nursing students at all levels experience an education that blends compassionate art with scientific inquiry to encourage the development of caring behaviors, therapeutic communication, social awareness, and collaborative skills that facilitate academic and personal development. The faculty believes that professional nursing education also prepares learners to be critical thinkers, to make optimal use of educational environments, and to pursue continued education as a goal-directed, lifelong process.

Our educational philosophy places the student at the centre of learning. Independence and self-direction in the acquisition of knowledge skills and attitudes is encouraged and facilitated. Students collaborate with “real” Nursing Leaders throughout the course curriculum in order to compare and contrast textbook learning with real-life application. Our educational strategies include developing projects implemented within the workplace, critical assignments and case studies, rather than memorizing information for testing purposes. We are also encouraging the utilization of technological innovations to foster compliance with the emerging needs for a technologically competent nurse. Appreciating, developing, and recognizing faculty, staff, and students, are the core values which guide our interactions with each other in the context of mutual respect, trust, responsibility and dialogue. We are supportive of one another’s efforts, loyal to one another, and care for one another both professionally and personally.

Grounded in local, national and international partnerships, the Department of Nursing has at its core a commitment to the development of students who are acutely aware of the world in which they live and their responsibilities of living in a global, interdependent community. Our faculty teach not only clinical skills but also the larger public policy and professional contexts in which those skills will be used. The Department also aims to prepare professionals who are able to provide therapeutic and culturally congruent care in a variety of settings. Whether rich, poor or middle class, we believe that people of all ages, races, cultures, religions, and national origins deserve safe,  affordable, accessible, quality nursing and health care. People with genetic or acquired disabilities and chronic physical or mental health problems are inherently valuable members of society who deserve the best care available so they can live full and productive lives. Thus, our graduates are prepared to act as advocates of vulnerable people of all ages against discrimination and stigma.

The Department is also proud of the contributions of its distinguished faculty. The faculty members are experts in their fields and have a rich tradition of accomplishments. They work with nursing students at the bedside, as a preceptor, as a clinical instructor or as a lecturer. They publish texts and articles, conduct research, speak at local, national and international conferences which constitute an invaluable resource to the Department and its students. The results of our faculty research are disseminated in leading journals, nationally and internationally while they find an immediate place in the classroom and clinic. Our senior faculty members work collaboratively, providing mentorship that encourages and accelerates the professional development of their colleagues. Our department also runs several postgraduate programmes (see Post-Graduate Studies) and publishes one scientific journal, the Journal of Sciences of Health “Rostrum of Asclepius” (www.vima-asklipiou.gr).

Indeed, our faculty believes that there are unprecedented opportunities for everyone in the nursing profession to have an impact on the healthcare system and on the lives of the people we serve—particularly society’s most vulnerable populations. We believe that nurses make a difference in the lives of people from the moment they take their first breath until they breathe their last. We believe that it’s a privilege to care for people’s health-related needs, and we feel joy and deep satisfaction when we assist them in achieving their optimum state of health.  Nursing is more than a career or a job to us.  It’s a profession that requires integrity, high ethical principles, dedication, and commitment and offers to us and  to our students inspiring opportunities for both personal and professional self-awareness and emancipation.