Values in Action
Six values animate every dimension of this strategic plan — the operating principles against which Yale School of Nursing (YSN) holds itself accountable. These values are visible not only in the language of the plan but in the way YSN teaches, discovers, leads, partners, decides, and serves.
Together, these values define the promise YSN makes to its students, faculty, staff, alumni, preceptors, partners, and communities. We will lead with excellence, respect, integrity, curiosity, sustainability, and courage — rigorous and humane, ambitious and accountable, globally engaged and locally grounded.
| Value | What it means at YSN | Visible by 2031 in… |
| Excellence | Advancing nursing education, science, practice, and leadership at the highest level — a disciplined commitment to continual improvement and impact. | Expanded academic portfolio, signature scholarly areas, and measurable contributions to health outcomes. |
| Respect | Affirming the dignity, expertise, and lived experience of every person in the YSN community, and honoring communities as partners in knowledge. | A culture where faculty, staff, students, alumni, preceptors, and partners experience belonging, recognition, and reciprocity. |
| Integrity | The alignment between what we say, what we value, and what we do — anchoring health as a human right and nursing leadership as a public good. | A school trusted by its community and Yale colleagues because actions are consistent with mission and commitments. |
| Curiosity | The engine of discovery and transformation — inviting better questions, challenging inherited assumptions, and opening pathways from knowledge to practice and policy. | Scholarly leadership in aging, AI, planetary health, implementation science, and education innovation. |
| Sustainability | Responsible stewardship of people, resources, partnerships, and the planet, embedded in academic, operational, and financial decision-making. | YSN leads academic nursing in aligning financial sustainability, workforce well- being, climate responsibility, and community impact. |
| Courage | The willingness to lead when the path is complex — pursuing ambitious goals, elevating nursing’s voice, and remaining honest about constraints. | Leadership in workforce transformation, health-system innovation, global faculty development, and community partnership. |