Instructions: Curriculum Overview, Framework, and Analysis
This essay will examine the BSN nursing curriculum offered by Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. It will discuss the program’s goals, design, accreditation, and mission and course descriptions of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Additionally, the essay will explore the professional standards, guidelines, and competencies incorporated in the program, and how it aligns with current healthcare needs.
Identification of Nursing Curriculum
The curriculum under consideration is the BSN curriculum offered at Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. It is designed for registered nurses who are seeking to advance their education and career opportunities in the healthcare field. The program is structured to provide learners with a solid foundation in nursing theory, research, and practice, with an emphasis on leadership, quality improvement, and patient-centered care. The BSN program at Capella University is needed because of the increasing complexity of the healthcare environment, which requires nurses to have a broader knowledge base and skill set. The program is designed to help nurses develop the critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
In addition, Capella University is a regionally accredited online university that offers various degree programs in various fields, including nursing. The university is committed to providing nursing learners with a high-quality education that is both flexible and accessible. Last but not least, the BSN program at Capella University is designed to meet the needs of working baccalaureate nurses along with Registered Nurses (RNs) who may not have the time or resources to attend a traditional, on-campus program.
Mission Statement and Course Descriptions
Mission statement
The mission of Capella University’s BSN program is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to succeed in a variety of healthcare settings. The program emphasizes evidence-based practice, cultural competence, and ethical decision-making to promote high-quality patient care.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 1 Curriculum Overview, Framework, and Analysis
Course descriptions
- Health Assessment and Promotion: This course provides students with the skills necessary to perform a comprehensive health assessment and promote healthy lifestyles. Students learn to collect and analyze data, develop health promotion strategies, and provide patient education.
- Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice: This course introduces students to the principles of nursing research and evidence-based practice. Students learn how to critically appraise research literature, evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions, and apply evidence to improve patient outcomes.
- Nursing Leadership and Management: This course focuses on leadership and management principles and their application in healthcare organizations. Students learn how to lead and manage interdisciplinary teams, develop strategic plans, and implement quality improvement initiatives.
- Pathophysiology and Pharmacology: This course provides students with an understanding of the pathophysiological processes that underlie common health conditions and the pharmacological treatments used to manage them. Students learn how to assess the efficacy and safety of medications, monitor for adverse effects, and educate patients about medication use.
- Community and Public Health Nursing: This course explores the role of the nurse in promoting health and preventing illness at the community and population levels. Students learn how to assess community needs, develop and implement health promotion programs, and evaluate program outcomes.
- Patient-Centered Care: This course focuses on the delivery of patient-centered care across the lifespan. Students learn how to establish therapeutic relationships with patients, communicate effectively, and provide culturally competent care.
- Nursing Ethics and Legal Issues: This course examines ethical and legal issues that arise in healthcare practice. Students learn how to make ethical decisions, navigate complex legal frameworks, and advocate for patients’ rights.
Critique of the content
The BSN program at Capella University appears to provide a comprehensive education in nursing practice. The courses cover essential topics such as health assessment, nursing research, leadership, and patient-centered care. The program emphasizes evidence-based practice and cultural competence, which are essential for providing high-quality patient care. The inclusion of courses on nursing ethics and legal issues is also valuable, as these topics are becoming increasingly important in healthcare practice. One potential critique of the program is that it may be more focused on theoretical knowledge than practical skills. While courses such as Health Assessment and Patient-Centered Care likely provide opportunities for hands-on learning, some of the other courses may be more lecture-based. However, this is a common criticism of many nursing programs, and it is challenging to strike a balance between theoretical and practical education.
Professional Standards, Guidelines, and Competencies
At Capella University, the BSN program strongly emphasizes building competencies in essential areas such as interprofessional collaboration, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and information management. The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape and prepare them for a successful career. Through rigorous coursework, hands-on experience, and personalized support, students can develop the critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership abilities needed to excel as healthcare professionals. These competencies align with the nursing and healthcare industry’s established professional standards, guidelines, and competencies.
Interprofessional teamwork is an essential aspect of healthcare, and it refers to the collaborative efforts of healthcare professionals from different disciplines to provide comprehensive and coordinated care. The program’s emphasis on developing interprofessional teamwork competencies suggests that students will learn to work effectively with other healthcare professionals to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.
Quality improvement is another critical area that is incorporated in the program. It refers to the ongoing efforts of healthcare organizations to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes through data, evidence-based practice, and continuous improvement methods. By focusing on quality improvement competencies, the program aims to prepare students to be leaders in improving the quality of care in their workplaces.
As healthcare professionals, making informed decisions that positively impact patient outcomes is essential. Evidence-based practice involves utilizing clinical expertise, patient values, and the most up-to-date research to make well-informed decisions regarding patient care. By combining these three elements, healthcare professionals can ensure that they are providing the best possible care to their patients, considering individual patient needs and preferences, and utilizing the latest scientific evidence available (Turner, 2022). The program’s emphasis on evidence-based practice suggests that students will learn to use the best available research to make informed decisions about patient care.
Information management is capturing, analyzing, and using data to support decision-making and improve outcomes (Malak, 2021). It is an essential aspect of healthcare, and the program’s emphasis on information management suggests that students will learn how to use data and technology effectively to improve patient care and support healthcare organizations’ operations (Malak, 2021).
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 1 Curriculum Overview, Framework, and Analysis
Student Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes for Capella University’s BSN program are crafted to correspond with the established norms and standards. The program focuses on providing a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills. The followings are the student learning outcomes of the BSN program and their relation to the established professional standards incorporated in the program.
Firstly, students are expected to apply nursing theory, research, and evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes. This outcome aligns with the American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Practice, which emphasize the importance of evidence-based practice in nursing care. The program aims to equip students with the skills necessary to evaluate and apply research findings to improve patient care. Meanwhile, the program aims to help students conduct comprehensive health assessments and promote health and wellness. This outcome aligns with the National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies for Nurse Educators, which emphasize the importance of health promotion and disease prevention in nursing education. The program aims to equip students with the skills to perform comprehensive health assessments and promote health and wellness. Also, the program aims to help students communicate effectively with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams. This outcome aligns with the ANA Code of Ethics, which emphasizes the importance of communication in building trust and promoting patient safety. The program aims to equip students with effective communication skills that they can use to build rapport with patients, families, and members of the interdisciplinary team. The curriculum also emphasizes the importance of patient safety, clinical management, and quality improvement. In addition, the course material is designed to instill the leadership skills, behaviors, and characteristics that are necessary to evaluate patient outcomes, advocate for patients, improve treatment, and provide high-quality care.
Recommendation to Update Healthcare Knowledge
We can update health care knowledge at Capella University’s nursing curriculum by following the given process:
- Establish a dedicated task force of nursing faculty and healthcare practitioners responsible for reviewing and updating the curriculum.
- Identify the latest trends and developments in healthcare by conducting regular literature reviews, attending relevant conferences and workshops, and consulting with experts in the field.
- Incorporate the latest research, guidelines, and best practices into the curriculum by updating existing courses and developing new ones.
- Use a variety of teaching methods and technologies to deliver the updated content, such as online modules, simulations, and case studies.
- Regularly assess the effectiveness of the updated curriculum by gathering feedback from students, alumni, and healthcare practitioners and make necessary adjustments.
- Continuously monitor the healthcare landscape and make updates to the curriculum as needed.
- Encourage faculty to continue their professional development and provide opportunities for them to do so.
- Involve alumni and healthcare practitioners to provide feedback on the curriculum to ensure that graduates are prepared to meet the current needs of the industry.
Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework
The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice are incorporated into Capella University’s nursing program in accordance with AACN standards. Throughout the entirety of the training, an emphasis is placed on the core competencies of interprofessional teamwork, evidence-based practice, continuous quality development, and information management. Furthermore, an organizing design or theoretical framework in nursing education would provide a structure and guide for curriculum development and assessment, as well as inform the teaching and learning strategies used in the program. It would also help the program align with the professional standards and guidelines established by organizations such as the AACN and ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date with current trends and best practices in the nursing field.
In addition, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has several organizing designs and theoretical frameworks for the nursing curriculum that focus on preparing nurses for a rapidly changing healthcare environment. The AACN’s Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice is a framework that outlines the key competencies and knowledge areas necessary for effective nursing practice. In this regard, Liberal education, organizational and systems leadership, teamwork and collaboration, safety and informatics, health promotion and disease prevention, quality improvement, patient-centered care, and evidence-based practice are among the eight categories that make up the essentials. Thus, Capella University’s nursing program relies heavily on this framework, which helps students learn skills like working in a team, using evidence-based care, and managing data.
Overview Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework of AACN
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is a professional organization that represents nursing education programs in the United States. The organization was founded in 1969 with the goal of advancing the quality of nursing education and promoting the interests of nursing education programs. One of the key ways the AACN has worked to achieve these goals is by developing and promoting the use of organizing designs and theoretical frameworks for nursing curricula (AACN, 2021).
The AACN has developed several organizing designs and theoretical frameworks for nursing education over the years, but one of the most widely used and recognized is the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. This organizing design and theoretical framework was first developed in 1998 and has been revised several times since then, with the most recent version being released in 2021 (AACN, 2021).
The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice is designed to provide a comprehensive, consistent, and cohesive framework for the education of baccalaureate nursing students (Burns, 2020). It is based on the belief that baccalaureate-prepared nurses have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide safe, effective, and patient-centered care in a variety of settings (Wood, 2020). The nursing education framework is structured into eight essential areas that include liberal education for baccalaureate generalist nursing practice, basic organizational and systems leadership for quality care and patient safety, scholarship for evidence-based practice, information management and application of patient care technology, healthcare systems, population-focused care, interprofessional communication, and collaboration for improving patient health outcomes, and cultural diversity and patient-centered care. (AACN, 2021).
The AACN’s Essentials framework is intended to be a flexible and adaptable guide that can be used to design and implement nursing education programs that meet the specific needs of different institutions and learners (AACN, 2021). It is also intended to be periodically updated to reflect new developments in nursing practice and healthcare delivery. The AACN regularly reviews and revises the Essentials framework to ensure that it remains current and relevant to the changing needs of the nursing profession (AACN, 2021).
Major Concepts of AACN
The AACN is the leading organization for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education in the United States. Its mission is to establish high-quality standards for nursing education, support schools in meeting those standards, influence the nursing profession to advance healthcare, and promote public awareness and support for professional nursing education, research, and practice (Essentials Concepts, 2023).
In addition, the AACN has created several fundamental ideas that steer nursing education, such as the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. These essentials include concepts such as liberal education for baccalaureate generalist nursing practice, baccalaureate education as the foundation for professional nursing practice, and the integration of nursing science with knowledge from the physical and social sciences, humanities, and nursing practice.
Other significant concepts of the AACN include the development of competencies for nursing practice, including patient-centered care, health promotion, interprofessional collaboration, and systems thinking (Essentials Concepts, 2023). Additionally, the AACN emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and patient safety in nursing education and practice (Essentials Concepts, 2023). The AACN also encourages lifelong learning and professional development for nurses, and supports the development of advanced practice nursing roles and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (Essentials Concepts, 2023).
Conclusion
The nursing curriculum at Capella University is designed to prepare students for careers in various healthcare settings. It is intended for individuals seeking to advance their careers in nursing or become nurse leaders and is flexible to meet the needs of working students with online classes and self-paced learning. The program is fully accredited by CCNE and aligns with ANA and NCSBN.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 1 Curriculum Overview, Framework, and Analysis
References
AACN. (2021). AACN Essentials Aacnnursing.org. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Essentials
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2022). The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/BaccEssentials08
Burns, A. (2020). LibGuides: RN to BSN: Baccalaureate Essentials. Cabarruscollege.libguides.com. https://cabarruscollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=1013020&p=7337687
Kreeger, L. (2023). School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Capella.edu. https://catalog.capella.edu/content/catalog/home/academic-offerings/school-of-nursing-and-health-sciences
Malak, H. A. (2021, March 21). What is Information Management? The Complete Guide. Information Management Simplified. https://theecmconsultant.com/what-is-information-management/
SNHS. (2023). School of Nursing and Health Sciences.Capella.edu. https://catalog.capella.edu/content/catalog/home/academic-offerings/school-of-nursing-and-health-sciences
Turner, M. (2022). UC Library Guides: Evidence-Based Practice in Health: Introduction. Libguides.com. https://canberra.libguides.com/evidence
Wood, R. (2020). Transforming Education. Nih.gov; National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209885/
