Assessment 1 Instructions: Curriculum overview, framework and analysis
Prepare a 5-7 page evaluation and theoretical framework analysis of a nursing curriculum of personal or professional interest.
Introduction
Note: Each assessment in this course builds on the work you completed in the previous assessment. Therefore, you must complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.
The nurse educator role is a dynamic, challenging, yet rewarding career choice for which many nurses have developed a passion. This course provides you with an opportunity to assess, design, implement, evaluate, and revise nursing curricula. Because health care knowledge and technology are expanding, these elements must be considered when a curriculum is built for today’s learner.
In this assessment, you will select a nursing curriculum either from an academic setting, such as a school of nursing, or a clinical setting, such as a hospital staff development program. You will evaluate the selected nursing curriculum in detail and describe the organizing design or theoretical framework on which your selected curriculum is based. You will also need to examine how this design or framework is demonstrated in the curriculum. Possible organizing designs or frameworks include simple-to-complex, stages of illness, nursing conceptual framework, concept-based, outcomes based, competency-based, interdisciplinary, and others.
According to Iwasiw and Goldenberg (2015), curriculum design involves not only configuring courses within a program, but also deciding how those courses will be sequenced and establishing a relationship between the courses. Also, the mission, values, philosophy, and goals of the institution influence the curriculum design of the nursing program. These relationships are articulated through the strategic goals and plan, and should be clearly identifiable within the curriculum.
In addition, many institutions identify a theory or set of theories that form a theoretical foundation for their curriculum. In today’s nursing education, it is often found that the theories used as a conceptual framework are not necessarily limited to nursing theories. Theory has been borrowed from education, sociology, and psychology to form a foundation for nursing curriculum. The main point is for the institution to validate that the theory they are using for their conceptual foundation is consistent with the mission, values, and philosophy of the institution and the nursing unit.
Reference
Iwasiw, C. L., & Goldenberg, D. (2015). Curriculum development in nursing education (3rd ed.). Jones and Bartlett.
• In Assessment 2, you will design a course to be included in the curriculum selected in this assessment.
• In Assessment 3, you will examine the evaluation process used to evaluate the curriculum selected for this assessment.
Preparation
As a practicing nurse, you have been asked to present an evaluation of a nursing curriculum to a nursing leadership team at your place of employment. They are seeking input on coursework recommendations for CEU fulfillment. The curriculum you select should be of interest to you either personally or professionally.
In this assessment, you will select a nursing curriculum either from an academic setting, such as a school of nursing, or a clinical setting, such as a hospital staff development program. If you are currently teaching, you may wish to use the curriculum from your school or workplace. If you are not currently teaching, you may want to consider using the curriculum from your undergraduate program. If neither is an option, you are encouraged to look for a nursing curriculum you can use as a model for your assessments. One choice might be an orientation curriculum for a clinical facility.
You will evaluate the selected nursing curriculum in detail and describe the organizing design or theoretical framework on which your selected curriculum is based. You will also examine how this design or framework is demonstrated in the curriculum. Possible organizing designs or frameworks include simple-to-complex, stages of illness, nursing conceptual framework, concept-based, outcomes based, competency-based, interdisciplinary, and others.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
• How do the mission, values, philosophy, and goals of an institution inform the development of a nursing curriculum?
• In your experience, what types of curriculum designs commonly used to develop nursing curricula?
• What characteristics of the intended audience for a nursing curriculum should inform development of the curriculum?
• What is the difference between curriculum design and a theoretical framework for a nursing program? Should both be identified?
Requirements
Your overview and analysis of the curriculum should fulfill the following:
• Identify an appropriate nursing curriculum, the intended learner population, and why it is needed.
• Provide the mission statement and course descriptions for all courses in a selected curriculum.
• Describe the established professional standards, guidelines, and competencies incorporated in the program.
• Describe the student learning outcomes of a selected nursing program.
• Recommend a process to update health care knowledge in a selected nursing curriculum.
• Explain how an organizing design and theoretical framework or model is demonstrated within a selected nursing curriculum.
• Provide an overview of the history of a selected organizing design and theoretical framework or model.
• Describe the major concepts of a selected organizing design and theoretical framework or model.
You will use this assessment to complete Assessment 3. Be sure to incorporate the feedback you receive before adding this assessment to Assessment 3.
