NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 2 Curriculum Overview
Student name
Capella University
NURS- FPX6108
Professor Name
Submission Date
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 2 Curriculum Overview
Nurses’ education is a key factor in developing kind and proficient nurses supported by scientific evidence. There has been evidence that the quality of the nursing curriculum ultimately has an impact on clinical outcomes and patient safety across health care systems. The entire Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing will be provided as an example in this paper. The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing was founded in 1939 and is one of the oldest nursing programs in the nation that offers a baccalaureate degree in nursing (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The following are major components of this Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program that will be reviewed: mission alignment, standards, outcomes, and the current process for review.
What Is the University of Pittsburgh BSN Program?
The University of Pittsburgh BSN program is a four-year nursing degree designed to prepare students for RN licensure through evidence-based education, clinical training, leadership development, and community health experiences. The program is accredited by CCNE and aligns with AACN Essentials competencies.
Curriculum Identification, Organization, and Learner Population
To assess whether the nursing program being taught at the University of Pittsburgh is right for you, you will need to first consider the following factors: the program of nursing taught (institutional context) and the target population to be served by the program (recipients). The University of Pittsburgh offers a Bachelor of Science – Nursing (BSN) degree, which is designed for students who have just finished high school, and teaches them how to become a generalist nurse at the entry-level. This program is a four-year full-time education program at the University of Pittsburgh campus in Pittsburgh that will prepare the graduate to apply for the NCLEX-RN exam upon completion of the program (University of Pittsburgh, 2024).
To be successful in a rapidly changing and complex healthcare world, a diverse and appropriately prepared population of learners is needed to help support the nursing workforce. The target population of learners for the University of Pittsburgh’s nursing program includes students entering from high school into the nursing program and other school students who transfer into the nursing program (referred to as internal transfers) (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). But this nursing program that offers students over 1200 hours of clinical practice in hospitals, clinics, and the community will not just be theoretical; it will also be an extensive hands-on professional preparation (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Consequently, the nursing program has a diverse population of learners and offers them a strong foundation in theory, as well as a wide range of practical and professional preparation for the generalist nurse market today.
Mission Statement Linkage to Curriculum
The call of every organization is to establish a basis for the philosophy through which their nursing curriculum is designed around their Mission Statement, which at the University of Pittsburgh is a key Mission: “To prepare the highest quality nurse to provide holistic care for patients/individuals, families and communities across all populations” (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Included in this mission is a commitment to diversity/inclusivity and equity among all ethnicities, races, cultures, ages, disabilities, and gender identities (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Further, all of these mission values are manifested in the nursing program through the cultural competence standards and the variability of clinical experiences.
Since the nursing education curriculum is aligned with the mission of the organization, it can serve as a way to promote the institutional value and purpose; all curricular development is geared toward the larger institutional (organizational) mission statement. It draws on the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics to encourage behaviors that show care and respect for the dignity of every person, and inclusion of all people as part of their practice. (University of Pittsburgh, 2024) Evidence-based learning and participation in scholarly activities provide a good example of how mission-based academic standards are created (Sangwa & Mutabazi, 2025). This ethical obligation is met through interprofessional education courses, health equity modules, and clinical experiences in community-based settings.
Course List, Sequencing, and Organization
It is possible to make a sequential listing of courses to make it easier to understand how simple (the foundation of the curriculum) to complex (advanced nursing knowledge) the curriculum builds. The Pitt BSN has a four-year curriculum with the first two years focused on taking some basic sciences, as well as liberal arts, and then introducing the clinical nursing courses throughout the remaining two years. The clinical courses build towards these skills over the course of the program, starting in the third year, where they learn more advanced skills to take care of a patient with multiple organ systems, and in the fourth year (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This will aid in meeting the AACN (2021) guideline of learning, which should flow from simple to more complex.
The course sequence will allow students to have a continuous process of learning and provide an opportunity to reinforce the clinical skills they have acquired in previous clinical nursing courses. Concurrent courses in nursing that occur simultaneously, such as basic science or liberal arts/University of Pittsburgh (2024) courses (Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences), will enable students to integrate all three disciplines into their learning about the care of patients. Students will also be able to practice for success on the NCLEX with a comprehensive NCLEX practice exam / 3-day NCLEX review exam at the end of the program in all areas of the nursing curriculum. The entire list of courses, complete with a description and sequence/curriculum guide, can be found in the appendix of this paper.
Professional Standards, Guidelines, Competencies, and Technology
The Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits the University of Pitt’s BSN degree program. CCNE has a high expectation for the quality of the Baccalaureate Programs, as stated by the University of Pittsburgh (2024). This curriculum features the following learning domains as described by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021). Core competencies are: person-centred care, partnerships, use of scientific theory and research to guide practice, partnership with patient, family, and community to enhance the quality of health care, and information technology/informatics.
Nursing education has entered a new era where the use of technology is the norm. Application of digital health technology for education in nursing is a big part of our education and an essential part of providing safe and effective, quality care in the modern healthcare system. The Pitt Nursing Program has integrated technology-related components into the curriculum that focus on patient care technologies, clinical information systems, and simulation skill/lab experiences to practice clinical skills (Uppor et al., 2024). Simulation-based learning has been found to have a positive impact in developing clinical reasoning skills and decreasing safety incidents amongst nursing graduates (Uppor, F, Papadopoulou, E, & Janes, D, 2024). Therefore, by ensuring Pitt nursing graduates have the technology-related competencies needed to successfully transition into practice, they will meet State Board of Nursing requirements for licensure as well as employer needs upon entering the workforce in today’s health care delivery systems.
Learning Outcomes and Meeting Needs of Diverse Learners
Student learning outcomes are a statement of what the student is expected to be able to do in terms of knowledge, skills, and behaviours, once he/she has completed his/her programme. The AACN (Association of American Colleges of Nursing) Essentials (2021) are the basis for the expected outcomes for the Pitt BSN Program, and graduates are expected to apply nursing theory and to inform their clinical decisions in all of their current practice situations. The expected outcomes are organized by 4 levels of outcomes: each level is referenced to the outcomes of the previous year (clinical and academic) (based on the University of Pittsburgh, 2024). All four levels are set in line with the latest evidence-based practices in education that would enable the students to be prepared for mastery learning irrespective of their performance in the classroom (Kayyali, 2025).
Another measure of the academic nursing program is meeting the diversity of the myriad of students in the program. An educational requirement for cultural competency coursework is in place; all clinical experiences are community-based, in addition to acute care, and a focus on a professional nurse to be culturally competent is promoted (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The positive academic outcomes for all students due to inclusive design with a variety of instructional methods and equitable assessment strategies were reported by Mashwama et al. (2025). The Pitt BSN Program has mapped the expected learning outcomes to the AACN (2021) established standards and has been able to establish competent professional nurses ready to care for a diverse patient population.
Process Timeframe and Stakeholders for Curriculum Currency
To ensure that the content of the nursing program is grounded in the latest and best knowledge from the healthcare field, a structured review cycle with the participation of several organizations must be observed. In the CCNE accreditation cycle (until 2034 for the Pitt DNP program, through continuous reviews for the Pitt BSN program), there are requirements for a curriculum evaluation process to be in place (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Faculty and students, clinical partners, hospital administration, and the State Board of Nursing (SBON) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are the stakeholders involved in the process of ensuring a curriculum that remains up to date. Input from all of these different people impacts the curriculum’s development, as their input helps update the curriculum based upon changes to health care practices, as well as ensure that the curriculum in its current state meets the needs of today’s available workforce.
Our curriculum is reviewed systematically, so that we can ensure the nurses graduating from our program are trained in the most up-to-date techniques and content related to nursing, identified by the needed competencies for the profession. The nursing program curriculum is designed by and reviewed regularly by faculty-led committees at the University of Pittsburgh, who assess and develop the curriculum based on a review of course content, clinical practice requirements, and expected learning outcomes. The curriculum of the nursing program should be assessed annually (or biannually) based on indicators of student performance, NCLEX pass rates, employer satisfaction, and other indicators (as stated by Obafemi, 2024). The curriculum for Pitt’s BSN program, therefore, should reflect the current practices of nursing and be relevant to and aligned with the most recent advances in the profession of nursing, as well as current evidence-based practices in health care.
Conclusion
The evidence in the overview of the curriculum indicates that safe and effective, equitable professional practices are being developed in this nursing program. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the University of Pittsburgh has well-defined connections between both its institution’s mission and goals related to the Competency Standards established by the AACN, as well as to the CCNE accreditation requirements. Further, the course sequence of several courses within this program is highly thought out, with an abundance of varied clinical experiences afforded within the student’s educational experience at the University of Pittsburgh. All learning objectives are well planned, well structured, and demonstrate high-quality up-to-date nursing education programs. This program is also dedicated to the creation of evidence-based nursing education and will review curriculum on a regular basis in order to be viable in today’s rapidly changing and dynamic health care environment.
Related Assessment For This Class:
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 5
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 3
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 4
References For NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 2
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf
Kayyali, M. (2025). Transforming education. Cultivating Flourishing Practices and Environments by Embracing Positive Education, 119–148. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9466-3.ch004
Mashwama, X., Thwala, W., & Baleni, Z. (2025). A theoretical review of diverse transformative assessment strategies to promote equity and inclusion in the built environment education. Construction Industry Development Board Postgraduate Research Conference, 244–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99204-9_21
Obafemi, A. A. (2024). The correlational effects of academic and demographic factors on nursing students’ attrition, progression, and completion at a university college of nursing. Digital Commons @ ACU. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/760/
SANGWA, S., & Mutabazi, P. (2025). Mission-driven learning theory: Ordering knowledge and competence to life mission. Open Journal of Transformative Education & Lifelong Learning (ISSN 3105-305X), 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65655/0859ab04
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). Bachelor of science in nursing program. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/programs/undergraduate-bsn
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). BSN program student learning outcomes. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/programs/bsn/learning-outcomes
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). Philosophy, mission, & goals. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/about/our-philosophy-mission-goals-values
Uppor, W., Klunklin, A., Viseskul, N., & Skulphan, S. (2024). Effects of experiential learning simulation-based learning program on clinical judgment among obstetric nursing students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 92, e101553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2024.101553
Professor
Adebusola A. Obafemi — EdD (Doctor of Education)
Areewan Klunklin — RN, PhD, Professor
Nongkran Viseskul — RN, PhD, Associate Professor
Sombat Skulphan — RN, PhD, Associate Professor
Appendix Course List, Sequencing, and Descriptions for the University of Pittsburgh BSN Program
Appendix Course List, Sequencing, and Descriptions for the University of Pittsburgh BSN Program
The following courses represent the sequenced plan of study for the University of Pittsburgh BSN program. Courses progress from foundational sciences to advanced clinical nursing practice across four academic years.
Year 1 – Foundational Sciences and Pre-Nursing Coursework
BIOSC 0150 – Foundations of Biology 1: Introduces cell biology, genetics, and the molecular basis of life relevant to health science.
CHEM 0110 – General Chemistry 1: Covers fundamental chemical principles, including atomic structure, bonding, and stoichiometry.
NUTR 0630 – Nutrition: Examines macronutrients, micronutrients, and dietary guidelines across the lifespan in clinical and community contexts.
ENGCOMP 0200 – Seminar in Composition: Develops academic writing skills critical to professional nursing communication and scholarly documentation.
Year 2 – Health Sciences and Introduction to Nursing
NURS 1010 – Introduction to Professional Nursing: Explores the scope of nursing practice, professional roles, ethical principles, and the healthcare system.
NURS 1020 – Health Assessment: Provides systematic instruction in physical, psychosocial, and functional assessment of patients across the lifespan.
MICROBIO 0400 – Microbiology: Covers microbial pathogenesis, infection control, and the immune response with applications to nursing care.
STATS 1000 – Applied Statistical Methods: Introduces statistical reasoning and evidence evaluation skills essential for evidence-based nursing practice.
Year 3 – Core Clinical Nursing Practice
NURS 3010 – Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Introduces clinical skills, patient safety, infection prevention, and therapeutic communication in simulated and clinical environments.
NURS 3020 – Adult Health Nursing I: Focuses on nursing care for adults with acute and chronic medical-surgical conditions across hospital and community settings.
NURS 3030 – Mental Health Nursing: Examines psychiatric disorders, therapeutic relationships, psychopharmacology, and mental health care across diverse populations.
NURS 3040 – Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Covers antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care of mothers and newborns within a family-centered care framework.
NURS 3050 – Pediatric Nursing: Addresses growth, development, and nursing care of children and families from infancy through adolescence in various clinical settings.
Year 4 – Advanced Practice and Leadership
NURS 4010 – Adult Health Nursing II: Builds on foundational medical-surgical content with an emphasis on complex, multi-system patient care and critical thinking.
NURS 4020 – Community and Public Health Nursing: Applies population-based nursing principles to address health disparities, disease prevention, and health promotion at community levels.
NURS 4030 – Nursing Leadership and Management: Develops clinical leadership, delegation, resource management, and interprofessional collaboration skills for healthcare team leadership.
NURS 4040 – Evidence-Based Practice and Research: Guides students in critically appraising research literature and applying evidence to improve patient outcomes in practice.
NURS 4050 – Senior Capstone Practicum: A supervised clinical immersion experience integrating all prior learning, preparing students for entry-level registered nurse practice.
FAQs
Is the University of Pittsburgh BSN program accredited?
Yes. The BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
How long is the University of Pittsburgh BSN program?
The program takes four years to complete and includes classroom learning, simulation labs, and more than 1,200 clinical practice hours.
What are the learning outcomes of the Pitt BSN program?
Students develop competencies in patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, leadership, health technology, and community health.
What Is the University of Pittsburgh BSN Program?
The University of Pittsburgh BSN program is a four-year nursing degree designed to prepare students for RN licensure through evidence-based education, clinical training, leadership development, and community health experiences. The program is accredited by CCNE and aligns with AACN Essentials competencies.