Promoting, applying, and evaluating problem-based learning in the undergraduate nursing curriculum.

Since its development in the 1960s, problem-based learning (PBL) has become increasingly prominent in nursing education. In 1998, Samford University received a grant from the PEW Charitable Trusts to promote, apply, and evaluate PBL in its undergraduate curriculum over three years. Nursing faculty approached this project with tenacity and enthusiasm.

The nursing portfolio: a reflection of a professional.

A nursing portfolio is a means of documenting skills such as communication, creativity, and critical thinking. More important, it reflects professional development, self-evaluation, and achievement of goals. Designing and implementing a portfolio enables traditional nursing students and RNs returning to school to describe their achievements during a specified period of time.