Innovating to meet AACN essentials in a bachelor of science in nursing program.

Our large, two campus (one urban and one suburban) and two track (RN-BSN and Entry-level BSN) program has revised our BSN curriculum to reflect the new Level One American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021). This article describes the work to revise the curriculum to meet the demands of contemporary nursing education with increased elective choices for Generation Z learners, professional role courses on wellness and resiliency, a course on palliative care and symptom management, increased clinical hours to include virtual simulation and more community and public health experiences, and increased innovative student experiences with our clinical partners. A revised clinical evaluation tool (CET) was also developed to evaluate students in competency-based education and to reflect our new program outcomes.

Academy of Clinical Essentials: A Revolutionary Nurse Staffing and Education Model.

A revolutionary academic-practice partnership model was implemented at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) with the University of Maryland School of Nursing, through which the preparation and transition to practice of new graduate nurses were reimagined, resulting in intentional support for staffing the nursing workforce. Groups of nursing students were paired with a UMMS-funded clinical instructor to take a full patient assignment for one 12-hour shift in a UMMS hospital each week. This instructor-led cohort is equivalent to one UMMS nurse and was included in the staffing numbers of participating units.

Communication and Technology: Ida Orlando's Theory Applied.

Today's bedside nurse communicates with patients in an environment that incorporates a wide variety of technology, from simple instruments such as a penlight to complex devices including cellphones, interactive computers, and computerized intravenous pumps. This is an excellent time to examine communication between the nurse and patient in today's fast-paced, technologically driven environment. Orlando's theory of the dynamic nurse-patient relationship provides a theoretical framework for understanding that communication.

An innovative approach to enhance dermatology competencies for advanced practice nurses: service–learning with a migrant farm worker health clinic.

The purpose of this article is to describe a novel service–learning opportunity for graduate nursing students that promotes competency in dermatology. A hybrid service–learning course with online didactic content is described, along with tools for evaluation of dermatology competencies. Student evaluation of the course is discussed, and selected research articles are reviewed.