NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 5 Curriculum Evaluation
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Capella University
NURS- FPX6108
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NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 5 Curriculum Evaluation
Through curriculum evaluations, graduate nurse preparation can be optimized to meet the demands of dramatically changing health care practices today by means of educational rigor and relevance. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was the founding nursing program at the University of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, 2024) and was first accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in 1939. The BSN program is based on a foundation of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials framework and is being transformed into a competency-based education (CBE) model. This study will allow for a comprehensive and cohesive program evaluation based on the structure of the BSN program, the theoretical frameworks that underlie the program, the learning objectives of the courses and assignments, and the assessment methods used.
ynopsis of Curriculum Overview Curriculum Identification, Organization, and Learner Population
Identifying, organizing, and defining the learners’ population in the curriculum. To plan for an appropriate nursing curriculum, one must take into account the institution and the persons for whom the curriculum is designed. The BSN programmer at the University of Pittsburgh is geared towards new high school graduates who want to become generalist registered nurses working at an entry-level position in any type of healthcare facility (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This four-year degree is full-time and completed on campus in order for graduates to take the NCLEX-RN upon completing their degree. Students who have graduated from this programmer are diverse learners – some may have directly enrolled in the nursing programmer from a previous programmer of study at the university while others may have enrolled in the programmer from a different programmer of study at the university, etc.
The delivery of an adequately equipped learner population with a range of abilities is vital to maintaining a nursing workforce in complex healthcare delivery systems. During the program, students experience approximately 1200 hours of supervised clinical training in either the hospital, clinic, or community (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This form of clinical learning has provided the students with a theoretical base and a skill set essential for the contemporary generalist nurse. The diversity of the learners and the numerous experiences that result from their diversity are evidence of the program’s dedication to producing competent nursing graduates in a variety of ways who are prepared to enter the workforce.
Mission Statement Linkage to Curriculum
The mission statement of an institution should be used to inform the development of all aspects of the nursing programmer. The mission of the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Nursing is to produce highly qualified nurses to deliver nursing care for individuals, families, and communities in a variety of populations (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The mission is to assure inclusion and equity by ethnicity, race, culture, age, disability, and gender identity as required by the cultural competence portion of the curriculum. Furthermore, Sangwa and Mutabazi (2025) report that when learning mission driven, it affords students a coherent learning experience with a well-defined purpose, which can enhance their competency and professional values.
Consistency with the values and professional duties of the institution is the norm of all pedagogical decisions if the mission is connected with the design of the curriculum. The program is guided by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics that states that all nurse practitioners should treat all people with kindness, consideration, and respect (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This ethical responsibility is carried out in the interprofessional courses of education, health equity modules, and the clinical placements in the community. Therefore, through curriculum alignment with the missions of the institution and the ethical standards for professional practice, students will be able to produce graduates who are reflective practitioners with commitment to providing equitable patient-based care.
Professional Standards, Guidelines, Competencies, and Technology
Nursing programs are influenced by outside benchmarks or standards like accreditation and professional standards; therefore, they help to guide and validate the curriculum design that the program develops. The CCNE has established high standards for all baccalaureate nursing programs in the US, which the Pitt BSN program has achieved (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The curriculum design also aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education through 10 profession-specific domains (however, there is a concentration on competencies such as person-centered care, informatics, interprofessional collaboration, etc.). These external standards will ensure that graduates can be licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exams.
As technology has become necessary for nurses to safely use their profession in the context of modern-day clinical care, a cross between a nurse’s core competencies and digital health was demonstrated to be the foundation of providing safe, quality care to patients. A key element of the BSN program curriculum at Pitt is its core component of patient care technologies, health information systems, and simulation labs (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The Uppor et al. (2024) study found that simulation-based education has a positive impact on newly graduated nurses’ clinical decision-making skills and on patient safety incidents. By using a technology competency-based integrated approach, Pitt grads may have a well-rounded education regarding the technology requirements of today’s healthcare system.
Learning Outcomes and Meeting Needs of Diverse Learners
Student learning outcomes demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes a graduate must possess upon completion of the nursing program. The outcomes are cumulative throughout the program (Pitt BSN will build up year on year in clinical and academic skills (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This was also confirmed by Kayyali (2025), who suggested that the development of an evidence-based instructional design in the establishment of Tiered Open Enrollment will improve material mastery for students with different learning abilities. So, in tiered learning outcomes, each student can have the ability to attain the skill of nursing according to his or her initial knowledge, with a systematic learning process to build the knowledge.
A second measure of the quality of state programs is serving the needs of a variety of students (all students). Assurance that cultural competency is integrated into the curriculum is required for the Pitt’s baccalaureate (BSN) program, and there are clinical placements in both community and acute-care settings (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Using inclusive instructional strategies and equitable assessment strategies will help to ensure positive academic achievement for all students (Mashwama et al., 2025). The AACN’s/2020) competencies are correlated to student learning outcomes that reflect the competencies possessed by the program graduate, but do not require the student to practice with a variety of patient populations across a range of settings.
Identify the process timeframe and stakeholders to be involved in Curriculum Currency.
Organizations need a defined process for keeping themselves informed on healthcare education programs that incorporates feedback from several other organizations. The CCNE uses an organized approach to review educational programs on an ongoing basis, which includes input from faculty, students, clinical partners, and a representative from the state nursing board as part of their required accrediting process (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). To keep all nursing courses current with ongoing changes in the healthcare system, evidence-based research, and the needs of the workforce, three stakeholder groups are involved in this coordinated approach: hospital administrators, the State Board of Nursing, and faculty-led committees of the nursing courses.
A formal process for reviewing curricula exists, which means that the graduating nurse will be educated about topics of current interest and current competencies in the field of nursing. According to Obafemi (2024), the curricular assessment of nursing programs should be conducted on an annual or biennial basis, which should rely on student performance indices, pass rates on the NCLEX, X, and employer satisfaction questionnaires. The Pitt BSN program fulfills this requirement by having a structured review of course content, clinical requirements, and outcomes by a committee of Pitt faculty members, which is held at regular intervals and, as a group, certifies that the Pitt BSN curriculum is current with best practices and standards in the health care field.
This section gives a brief overview of the theory, frameworks, and models of curriculum. This section presents a synopsis of the theory, frameworks and models of curriculum.
Process Timeframe and Stakeholders for Curriculum Currency
A curriculum organizing design provides a structure for developing curriculum points of engagement for the student’s learning experience that supports the armory of professional nursing competence over a period of time. The Pitt BSN program is organized and taught using a competency-based education (CBE) model based on the AACN (2021) Essentials as the organizing framework for curriculum development. In addition, CBE ensures that all courses, assessments, and clinical experiences are aligned with measurable professional competencies as measured across 10 domains of practice in nursing (AACN, 2021). Mani (2025) posited that CBE frameworks would boost nurse graduates’ preparedness for clinical practice and shorten the required period to get competency once they join a hospital.
The BSN program is a competency-based approach to nursing education, aligning measurable, standardized competencies to those expected of the new nursing graduate. The AACN Essentials (2021) outline ten domain competencies, which include provision of person-centered care, promotion of population health, interprofessional collaboration, and use of informatics to enhance patient outcomes which are in line with NCLEX-RN requirements. Further, the program is designed in a simple-to-complex sequencing structure (University of Pittsburgh, 2024) starting with foundational sciences in Year 1 and 2, and moving to multi-system care in Year 3 and 4, which will facilitate systematic sequencing of the curriculum, aligned with the institutional mission, and will yield more coherent and effective programs for professionals.
Synopsis of Curriculum Theory, Frameworks, and Models Fundamental Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework
To understand the development of competency-based education as a major influence in nursing curriculum today, it is critical to have an understanding of the history of competency-based education. In the health professions, competency-based education first came into use in the 1970s to bridge the disconnect between theory and practice in clinical settings among nursing students. The AACN published the first edition of Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice in 1986, and amended and adopted a competency model that uses the three domains on July 19, 2021 (AACN, 2021). As a result, the adjustments to the Pitt BSN program made in response to the major restructuring of the curriculum in 2021 are directly in response to and reflective of the recent changes to the AACN’s Essentials.
National nursing workforce data revealed that the need for new nurses’ preparation gap was the impetus for the updated AACN Essentials (2021). As per Qazi and Al-Mhdawi (2025), schools using the new Essential Framework have shown significant increases in NCLEX results of graduate IV versus II and III Frameworks. All four years of Pitt’s BSN curriculum have introduced the ten essential domains (AACN, 2021); they include scholarship for practice, quality and safety, professional behaviors, and personal-professional leadership.
History and Major Concepts of the AACN Essentials Framework
Knowledge of the history of competency-based education is essential for understanding its development into a leading force in nursing curriculum design today. Competency-based education in the health professions began in the 1970s to close the gap between what nursing students learned in theory versus how they were able to apply this knowledge when providing care in the clinical setting. The first edition of the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice was published by the AACN in 1986; and on July 19, 2021, they revised this document and adopted a competency model based on three domains (AACN, 2021). Therefore, the changes made to the Pitt BSN curriculum after its major restructure in 2021 are in direct response to and reflective of the AACNs recent revisions to their Essentials.
According to national nursing workforce data, the driving force behind the updated AACN Essentials (2021) was the preparation gap of new nurses. As per Qazi and Al-Mhdawi (2025), schools using the new Essential Framework have shown significant increases in NCLEX results of graduate IV versus II and III Frameworks. All four years of Pitt’s BSN curriculum have introduced the ten essential domains (AACN, 2021); they include scholarship for practice, quality and safety, professional behaviours, and personal-professional leadership.
Demonstration of the Framework Within the Curriculum
Theoretical frameworks will only have meaning when they are clearly shown in the actual structure and content of the curriculum. All other domains, except for the domain of “Scholarship for Practice”, are indirectly addressed in NURS 4040 (Evidence-Based Practice and Research) and NURS 4030 (Nursing Leadership and Management) by evaluating research; NURS 4030 introduces evidence of how the domains of “Professionalism” and “Interprofessional Partnerships” have been operationalized using team-based clinical events. The best evidence of the successful implementation of a theoretical framework in the curriculum is illustrated in capstone experiences such as NURS 4050.
The program’s NCLEX preparation structure is embedded, showing the scaffolder, outcomes-based design of the program. Each year 3 is a diagnostic pre-exam to determine foundational mastery, and the Predictor Exam and three-day NCLEX review are administered at the end of the program (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The programs that integrated formative assessment checkpoints throughout the curriculum had significantly higher NCLEX pass rates for first- takers as compared to programs that did not integrate the formative assessment checkpoints (Mani, 2025). The collection of these elements demonstrates the theoretical justification and application of the competency-based framework of the Pitt BSN Program.
Synopsis of Course Development and Influencing Factors New Course: Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health
When designing new courses to be added to a current curriculum, alignment must be addressed to link professional standards, programmatic goals, and the evolving future labor needs in the health care field. This course proposal establishes a new course to be offered to 3rd year (3rd) or 4th year (4th) BSN students at the University of Pittsburgh. A 3-4 credit hour blended (didactic, simulation, and hands-on experience) course designed to give the student experience with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems through a mix of instructor-led learning experiences in class and through clinical application in the clinical placement. There is a lack of this course in the current curriculum to address the AACN Essentials (2021) domains of Informatics and Information Technology, and Quality/Safety.
The wide array of digital technologies in the various dimensions of healthcare delivery (Hants et al., 2023) has made it clear that the skill sets needed for clinical decision-making in EHS will be expanded for both their interpretation and handling of technology. In this course, students learn how to effectively use electronic health record systems (EHRs), data analytics, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), telehealth, and artificial-intelligence (AI) healthcare delivery approaches. The informatics competency-based education described in this study, like that of Lewis et al., will be sufficient to equip nursing graduates for meeting the demands of the current nursing workforce in the current health care environment.
External and Internal Factors Influencing Curriculum Design
External factors play a vital role in determining how appropriate and responsive nursing programs are in creating a nursing curriculum. The creation of new technologies such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and artificial intelligence has profoundly impacted nurse competencies at the time of nurse entry (Amjad et al. 2023). In fact, the incorporation of evidence-based healthcare technology standards and evidence-based expectations about the future healthcare workforce into the nursing curriculum is a requirement for all nursing programs from several accrediting bodies, such as the CCNE and professional organizations (AACN) (Welch & Smith 2022), and thus all nursing programs are to produce graduates eligible and employable.
Partnership within the organization is as important as establishing how new course offerings relate to the overall goals and institutional goals for the organization. In addition to curriculum teams, faculty develop, evaluate, and introduce new curriculum along with simulation lab staff, academic deans, and others. (Kumar & Rewari, 2022) According to one study (Brown et al., 2023), implementing regular, interdisciplinary team meetings and data-driven decisions will greatly enhance curriculum development process integrity and quality. Without a commitment to collaboration internally, there is a strong likelihood that new courses will become independent of the program mission, accreditation standards and the program’s purpose and goals.
Stakeholder Collaboration and Consequences of Non-Collaboration
Stakeholders (both internal and external) should be involved in the overall process of curriculum development, design, and implementation. This is accomplished with both internal stakeholders (faculty/curriculum committees) and external stakeholders (clinical partners, accreditors, employers, and technology professionals). According to DelMonte et al. (2022), CCNE-accredited programs that have a strong advisory structure comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders produce more graduates who are job-ready when compared to CCNE-accredited programs having no advisory structures. Furthermore, working together with stakeholders to create an advisory committee and to build clinical partnerships and evaluate continuous feedback is necessary for an effective, responsive, and prepared curriculum for employment within the workforce.
If there is no avenue for all the parties who are developing a new curriculum (e.g., the nursing program) to collaborate, the ramifications for those who will be involved with the development of new curricula could be devastating. For instance, if all those involved in curriculum development do not participate in the development of a new curriculum, then the likelihood of the new curriculum becoming out-of-date is high; the new curriculum is unlikely to be compatible with present health care practice and meet present accreditation requirements. Furthermore, it is known that failure to meet acceptable standards has a negative effect on the NCLEX exam scores and the quality of all nursing programs (Sheikoleslami et al., 2025). These points highlight the need for collaborative, structured, and ongoing collaboration among stakeholders involved in nursing program curriculum development to provide credibility, efficiency, and meet accreditation standards.
Curriculum Evaluation Importance of Ongoing Curriculum Evaluation
The ongoing assessment through nurse educators and education administrators is an important component in providing quality nursing education programs through curriculum evaluation. Formative evaluation takes place when the learning is still in progress, whereas summative evaluation is a measure of the learning that has taken place once learning has been completed (Obafemi, 2024). These are both kinds of evaluations that can be used by faculty, administrators, accrediting bodies, prospective employers, and students to determine if program objectives are being achieved. If nursing programs are not continually evaluated, the greatest risk is that the graduates may not be prepared for the changing expectations of clinical practice and licensure.
Evaluations of the curriculum should be regularly conducted to ensure the highest level of performance in many areas for the nursing program. If no evaluation is conduct, then programs face the risk of not meeting AACN standards, CCNE accreditation standards and the State Board of Nursing (State Board of Nursing) regulations (Welch & Smith, 2022). Due to this, students from nursing programs that do not conduct regular evaluations are less likely to pass the NCLEX examination, are less likely to be prepared to work as nurses, and are less likely to be competent as nurses when they graduate, than students from nursing programs who do conduct regular evaluations (Obafemi, 2024). For this reason, it should not be thought of as an extra activity when one is thinking about a continuous curriculum evaluation system; it should be considered one of the main seven blocks of evidence-base practiced.
Criteria Important in Curriculum Evaluation
Establishing solid constructs for the accurate identification of the evaluative criterion is one of the pillars for a systematic and objective evaluation of nursing programs. The Pitt BSN Program will meet the requirement using the following evaluative criteria: the first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate; employer satisfaction surveys; and the graduate employment rate (within six months of graduation) from the Pitt BSN Program. Additional factors that will be considered for the evaluation of this nursing program are: student retention rates/ student graduation rates; appropriateness of clinical placement; student achievement of course-level learning outcomes; and congruence of the nursing program with the AACN (2021) competency domains. Lewis and colleagues (2022) emphasize that a full, multi-criteria evaluation process produces more evidence of the effectiveness of a curriculum and the preparation of curriculum graduates.
Several types of data are used to evaluate how well faculty and curriculum committee members are meeting the various criteria to evaluate programs, including data on students’ achievement; faculty courses; and simulation lab data, which will all be compared to like programs (Obafemi, 2024). The Pitt BSN program requires annual evaluation of the following criteria: cultural competence, ability to collaborate with other professionals and use of technology, creating a rigorous, relevant curriculum that is aligned to the standards of the nursing profession through monitoring these criteria.
Pilot Testing in Curriculum Evaluation
Pilot testing is a test that is implemented that is a systematic evaluation of new curriculum components before the program is fully implemented. In the case of Pitt’s BSN program, pilot testing the Proposed Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health course will consist of delivering it to one cohort before its full integration into the program. The faculty will have real-time information regarding student engagement, achievement of learning outcomes, effectiveness of the simulations, and development of EHR competencies. The process of making decisions about the curriculum is a process of testing and revision, and it is considered to be responsible when it is done repeatedly to ensure that the new content meets learner needs and standards for professions (Kumar & Rewari, 2022).
One good example of the use of pilot testing within nursing education would be the testing of a module using simulation before the full implementation of the module into the programme. For example, in a study by Uppor et al. (2024), pilot testing of obstetric nurse and midwifery simulation-based learning programmes showed significant improvement in clinical judgement scores before the wider implementation of these programmes in the nursing curriculum. Thus, in the Pitt BSN Informatics course, Pilot Test Outcomes will be evaluated using pre- and post-testing, instructor observation, and student satisfaction questionnaires, and large-scale curriculum failures will be avoided by testing new courses on a smaller scale to ensure that the course is effective before implementing the new course for an entire class.
Short-Term and Long-Term Curriculum Evaluations for Process Improvement
Short-Term Evaluation Strategies
Evaluating a curriculum in the short term provides teachers with quick and relevant feedback about ways they can change and improve their courses in order to provide students with improved learning outcomes over a much shorter time frame. The Pitt BSN program has various short-term evaluations, including end-of-semester course evaluations,_mid-semester student feedback surveys, and clinical preceptor performance evaluations. In addition, these assessments highlight gaps in content areas when it comes to the content delivered to students, student satisfaction with the content and their clinical placements, and the effectiveness of faculty as teachers at the time. Through formative evaluation tools, faculty can make changes to the curriculum as it is happening before irreparable harm is done to a student’s learning.
Long-Term Evaluation Strategies
Long-term evaluations help evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a curriculum. Long-term evaluation examples are monitoring graduates’ outcomes for months or years after graduation. The metrics for long-term evaluation for the Pitt BSN program include: annual NCLEX-RN 5-year pass rates, annual employer satisfaction surveys 12 months post-graduation, and career progression of Pitt BSN Alumni. The most complete method of long-term assessment of the Pitt BSN program is a site visit by CCNE every 5-10 years or so. Mani 2025 suggests that there are two types of evaluation – short-term and long-term – for educational programs since short-term evaluation will be used to pinpoint course problems, and long-term evaluation will be used to identify systemic strengths and weaknesses of a program.
Applying Evidence-Based Nursing Concepts to Improve Curriculum Development
Evidence-based and evidence-informed decision making in curriculum design and revision are rooted in evidence-based and evidence-informed nursing and educational theories. The AACN (2021) Essentials framework integrated evidence-based research and expert consensus on competencies and practice of nursing to develop a model based on empirical data (nationwide workforce data), graduate outcomes research, and expert analysis of nursing practice competencies. The BSN’s learning goals build upon knowledge and comprehension in the first year with synthesis and evaluation in the fourth year (Bloom’s Taxonomy). A study conducted by Lewis et al. (2022) demonstrated that integrating the learning objectives of the curriculum with evidence-based taxonomies has a significant impact on competency development across all nursing programs.
Examples that can be used to illustrate how evidence-based concepts are used to improve curriculum development at each level of the Pitt BSN Program include: The incorporation of high-fidelity simulations throughout the BSN Program demonstrates the evidence that high-fidelity simulations improve clinical reasoning and decrease the prevalence of negative patient outcomes (Uppor et al., 2024). The integration of interprofessional education (IPE) modules within all courses of the program demonstrates the evidence surrounding team-based approaches to providing care that results in decreased errors and improved patient outcomes (Brown et al., 2023). The Pitt BSN Program continuously employs evidence-based educational approaches, in addition to best practice nursing approaches, to continuously improve the curriculum to meet the evolving needs of the profession for its graduates.
Accreditation Body and Evaluation Criteria
Looking for an accreditation body will help understand the external quality framework of the nursing program and how it will tie into the nursing program curriculum and evaluation. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has accredited the BSN at the University of Pittsburgh. The criteria for accrediting baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs are determined by CCNE on four criteria: mission/governance, institutional commitment/resources, curriculum/teaching-learning, and program outcome measures (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The CCNE has set very high standards for nursing education programs in the United States (DelMonte et al., 2022).
To meet the standards of CCNE for program evaluation, it is required to demonstrate the extent to which the learning objectives are met and aligned with the models of the AACN essentials. Evaluation Criteria Specific to the Pitt BSN Program and CCNE will use the NCLEX-RN first attempt pass, graduation and retention rates, and employer/graduation satisfaction survey results as data points to verify before meeting CCNE program criteria. Data-driven program mission, curriculum, and resource alignment, review, and improvement should occur regularly through the program as a result of the CCNE evaluation, further sustaining program quality (Welch & Smith, 2022).
Conclusion
Curriculum evaluation is an evaluation that is continuous and ongoing to ensure continued quality and appropriateness of nursing education and an evidence-based evaluation process. There is clear alignment between the BSN Program of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institutional Mission, the AACN Essentials framework, CCNE Accreditation, and regular curriculum review processes. The proposed Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health course responds to a critical gap in the curriculum, based on external workforce needs and required professional standards. Short-term and long-term evaluation strategies are linked to evidence-based criteria to ensure that the program remains producing competent and workforce-ready nursing graduates.
Related Assessment For This Class:NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 2
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 3
NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 4
References For NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 5
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
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Brown, S.-A., Sparapani, R., Osinski, K., Zhang, J., Blessing, J., Cheng, F., Hamid, A., MohamadiPour, M. B., Lal, J. C., Kothari, A. N., Caraballo, P., Noseworthy, P., Johnson, R. H., Hansen, K., Sun, L. Y., Crotty, B., Cheng, Y. C., Echefu, G., Doshi, K., & Olson, J. (2023). Team principles for successful interdisciplinary research teams. American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research and Practice, 32, 100306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahjo.2023.100306
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Sheikoleslami, R. L., Princeton, D. M., Iren, L., Sezer Kisa, & Goyal, A. R. (2025). Examining factors associated with attrition, strategies for retention among undergraduate nursing students, and identifying research gaps: A scoping review. Nursing Reports, 15(6), 182–182. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15060182
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Appendix A
Course List, Sequencing, and Descriptions – University of Pittsburgh BSN Program
The following courses represent the sequenced plan of study for the Pitt BSN program, progressing from foundational sciences to advanced clinical nursing 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 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.
NURS 4060 – Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health (Proposed): A blended, 3-4 credit course integrating EHR systems, data analytics, telehealth, AI in healthcare, and HIPAA compliance into clinical practice.
Appendix B
Course Topical Outline: Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health
- Foundations of Nursing Informatics
- Definition and Scope of Health Informatics B. Role of Informatics in Nursing Practice C. Evolution of Digital Health Technologies D. Ethical and Legal Considerations in Informatics
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Clinical Systems
- Structure and Function of EHR Systems B. Documentation Standards and Best Practices C. Interoperability and Data Exchange D. Clinical Workflow Integration
III. Clinical Decision Support Systems
- Types of Decision Support Tools B. Evidence-Based Decision Making C. Alerts, Reminders, and Clinical Guidelines D. Impact on Patient Safety and Outcomes
- Healthcare Data Analytics
- Types of Healthcare Data (Clinical, Operational) B. Data Collection and Management C. Basic Data Analysis Techniques D. Interpretation of Data for Clinical Decisions
- Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring
- Principles of Telehealth Practice B. Remote Monitoring Technologies C. Patient Engagement in Digital Care D. Benefits and Challenges of Telehealth
- Privacy, Security, and Ethical Considerations
- HIPAA and Patient Confidentiality B. Data Security and Risk Management C. Ethical Use of Health Information D. Legal Responsibilities of Nurses
VII. Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies
- Introduction to AI in Healthcare B. Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning C. Role of AI in Clinical Decision Making D. Future Trends in Digital Health
VIII. Quality Improvement and Data-Driven Care
- Use of Data in Quality Improvement B. Performance Metrics and Patient Outcomes C. Reducing Errors through Informatics D. Evidence-Based Practice Integration
- Simulation and Practical Application
- EHR Simulation Training B. Case-Based Informatics Scenarios C. Interprofessional Collaboration Using Technology D. Reflection and Skill Evaluation