Designing a New Nursing Curriculum the Process and the Pitfalls

1. Designing a New Nursing Curriculum the Process and the Pitfalls October 9, 2006

2. It all starts with your … • Philosophy • Identify major concepts that will be threaded throughout courses • Examples • Evidence-based practice • Informatics/Communication • Interdisciplinary teams • Quality improvement • Patient-centered care

3. The Second Step is… • Organizing framework • Examples • NLN Competencies – Provider of care, manager of care, member of the discipline • NCSBN Core Competencies – Professional behaviors, Communication, Assessment, Clinical Decision Making, Caring Interventions, Teaching and Learning, Collaboration, Managing Care • NCLEX Test Plan – Safe, Effective Care Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, Physiological Integrity. • Functional Health Patterns • Systems

4. The next step is … • Educational Outcomes or Terminal Objectives • This is what you want your graduate to look like or be able to do when they graduate • They will be broad statements that relate back to the major concepts identified in the philosophy

5. Next Come • Level objectives or course objectives • Determine the number of levels for your program • These must demonstrate progression. • They also provide the framework for the clinical evaluation tool. • The objectives for the final course are the same as the educational outcomes or terminal objectives

6. After objectives… • Determine the content for each course • The major concepts identified in philosophy are deepened throughout the program • The organizing framework provides the structure for the content • It is impossible to “cover” everything – the challenge is to identify the concepts that are critical

7. Design Learning Activities and Methods of Assessment • Facilitate active student investigation, discovery, and learning of essential material • Faculty do not need to feel responsible for “covering all of the material” • All assessments should reflect the depth and breath of content described in course objectives.

8. Why do we need a curriculum revision? • “Integrated” and “Non-integrated curriculum restricted transferability • Ensure seamless articulation among NCCCS institutions • Keep current with national trends and reflect contemporary nursing practice

9. Factors/trends Influencing Nursing Education • Regulatory changes set by NC BON • Recommendations cited in 2004 report of the NC IOM Task Force on Nursing Workforce including the need to meet NLNAC accreditation standards • Elimination of summer funding

10. NC Council of ADN Directors appointed a task force How did it get started?

11. Begin with the end in mind • Used NLN competencies as organizing framework • Three level objectives were developed for each competency • Professional Behaviors • Communication • Assessment • Clinical Decision Making • Caring Interventions • Teaching and Learning • Collaboration • Managing Care

12. Course Development • 12 courses • Separate courses for pharmacology, assessment and leadership • Geriatrics is integrated • Professional Nursing Concepts and Assessment must be offered in the first semester and Nursing Care of Multi-system failure must be in the last, otherwise, courses may be offered in any sequence • Can be offered in shorter blocks or over the entire semester

14. Issues • Why argue with present success? • How will there be time for more content? • What will we give up? • What if we don’t teach the “right things”? • What if NCLEX rates go down? • What if skill levels decline? • What if we cannot teach the new content effectively? • How will this impact my teaching load?

15. Curriculum change requires… • Courage – the willingness to take risks in order to achieve a goal • Trust in each other and the process • Strong commitment by faculty leaders • Communication and collaboration with each other and key stakeholders • Ability to balance the need for change with the instinct to protect what has been