Incorporating the AACN Essentials 'spheres of care' into nursing curricula.

In 2021 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published new education standards for nursing programs offering degrees at the baccalaureate-level and higher. The new standards, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021), represent an educational shift and an opportunity to transform the nursing profession through a better-prepared workforce. One important new standard that must be incorporated for entry-level (Level 1) programs is preparation for practice within four spheres of care.

Re-envisioning clinical education for nurse practitioner programs: themes from a national leaders' dialogue.

As the need for primary care providers increases, nursing education programs face significant challenges to meet future workforce needs. A more resource-efficient approach for the clinical education of nurse practitioner students is needed. A think tank involving 20 thought leaders representing multiple disciplines was convened to discuss this issue.

Selecting concepts for a concept-based curriculum: application of a benchmark approach.

In response to a transformational movement in nursing education, faculty across the country are considering changes to curricula and approaches to teaching. As a result, an emerging trend in many nursing programs is the adoption of a concept-based curriculum. As part of the curriculum development process, the selection of concepts, competencies, and exemplars on which to build courses and base content is needed.

Using a virtual community to enhance cultural awareness.

Purpose: Cultural competence is an expectation of professional practice, yet effectively teaching this concept to nursing students is challenging. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of a virtual community as a teaching application to foster cultural awareness among nursing students.

Method: This correlational study involved the collection of two surveys from 342 first-semester students from five baccalaureate nursing programs that used The Neighborhood virtual community during one semester.

Emotional connection and integration: dominant themes among undergraduate nursing students using a virtual community.

The use of virtual communities is an emerging pedagogical application that enhances student learning in nursing education. This study involved a sample of 40 undergraduate students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program using The Neighborhood as a teaching application across the curriculum. The students were followed over three successive semesters.

Report card: an evaluation of a concept-based curriculum.

This article describes the evaluation of an innovative, concept-based baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Curriculum evaluation is an ongoing process that serves to ensure the delivery of quality education. Findings from surveys and focus groups identified strengths of the new curriculum as the conceptual approach, interactive small-group learning activities, clinical intensives, and early patient care experiences.

Collaborating across the pond: the diffusion of virtual communities for nursing education.

Over the past decade, there have been significant changes in nursing education, particularly in teaching practice. This change has fueled interest in developing new and innovative approaches to teaching and curriculum. This article describes the shared experiences of two nurse educators on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean who have spent the last 4 years immersed in the process of developing and diffusing virtual communities for nursing education.

Early student outcomes associated with a virtual community for learning.

Virtual communities represent a new and innovative approach to learning within nursing education. Because this is an emerging trend, little is known about the use of virtual communities and the impact on students and their learning. This article reports the results of a study designed to assess the initial perceived benefits of using a virtual community known as The Neighborhood in a single undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program during the first few years following development.

A survey of physical examination skills taught in undergraduate nursing programs: are we teaching too much?

Because content saturation is a growing concern, as reflected in the nursing literature, the content taught in undergraduate nursing curricula should be critically examined. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional research was to determine and analyze the physical assessment content currently taught in undergraduate nursing programs. A total of 198 individuals teaching in undergraduate nursing programs completed a Web-based survey.

Analyzing graduate student trends in written paper evaluation.

Writing is valued as an essential skill in nursing education. However, the evaluation of written scholarly work is challenging. Limited nursing literature addressing issues or strategies associated with evaluation exists.

Guided care: a new frontier for adults with chronic conditions.

Purpose: This article describes "Guided Care," a promising new model of case management that includes disease management, self-management, transitional care, and caregiver support for multimorbid patients and their families.

Primary Practice Settings: Guided Care nurses, based at primary care practices, extend services to the home and all the other settings where their patients receive care.

Findings And Conclusions: Guided Care nurses take responsibility for 50-60 multimorbid patients.

Achieving diversity in nursing through multicontextual learning environments.

Attempts to increase diversity within the nursing profession have resulted in the admission of more ethnically diverse students into nursing education programs. However, traditional curricular and pedagogical practices seen in many nursing programs do not accommodate the learning needs of diverse learners. Nurse educators are encouraged to adopt learner-centered pedagogical approaches and embrace multicontextual learning environments.

The Neighborhood: a Web-based platform to support conceptual teaching and learning.

The need for reform in nursing education has been clearly defined.The difficulty has been in finding ways to facilitate the process. This article describes an innovative web-based virtual community, The Neighborhood, used to promote conceptual learning across a new curriculum at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing.

A survey of physical assessment techniques performed by RNs: lessons for nursing education.

There is ongoing concern about the adequacy of the educational preparation of nursing graduates; at the same time, there is concern regarding excessive content within nursing curricula. The purpose of this study was to identify physical examination skills performed by practicing nurses to better understand the competencies needed by graduates of nursing programs. A sample of 193 nurses completed a survey indicating the frequency they performed various physical assessment techniques.

Rescuing nursing education from content saturation: the case for a concept-based curriculum.

Nursing education has been plagued with a saturation of content for many years. The multiple contributing factors underscore the complexity of the problem and validate the need for educational reform. The purpose of this article is to discuss various factors contributing to content saturation and propose a conceptual approach for curriculum development and teaching in nursing education.