Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example

Clinical environment is rapidly changing in accordance with the changes in community and environment, while demanding new setting, technologies, and roles, which the staff nurses have to practice. The ever developing clinical environment requires new teaching and learning approaches, so that students could satisfy the current and future medical needs of a community after graduation. Hereby, the development of curriculum in nursing education is a process that intends to guarantee an effective evidence- and context-relevant education. The paper discusses and analyses various aspects of development and establishment of the curriculum in nursing schools to satisfy the societal needs, as well as impact current student attributes and needs on nursing curricula. Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example

In accordance with the changing social forces, there are different definitions and ways of understanding the curriculum. While some authors use a new broad perspective describing curriculum as “a desired goal or set of values that can be activated through a development process, culminating in experiences for learners”, many other still view it as “written document,” “planned experiences,” or “planned learning outcomes” (Iwasiw, Goldberg, & Andrusyszyn, 2009, pp.4-5). The summarization of all these conceptions has been done by Keating (2011), who defined the curriculum as “the formal plan of study that provides the philosophical underpinnings, goals, and guidelines for delivery a specific educational program”. (p. 1). Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example

Based on the definition, one can distinguish the main components of the curriculum. Thus, the curriculum in nursing includes core philosophical underpinnings, objectives and goals that are based on precise research about current societal and students’ needs, educational program that contains different learning and philosophical strategies, estimation criteria, and culture of education that can satisfy both students’ and teachers’ expectations, and delivery methods. This framework aligns with considering curriculum as a strategy, experiences, means, process, as well as a plan.

The curriculum development is a creative process that requires imaginative thinking, openness to new ideas, and cooperation of all the stakeholders. Since students refer to the main curriculum stakeholders, the nursing curriculum has to be responsive to student interests (Keating, 2011). Other stakeholders for developing a curriculum in nursing are faculty, educators, administrators, and consumers of nursing services. Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example

Relationships between Institutional Program Mission and Vision Statements and Terminal Objectives of the Nursing Curriculum

In order to be effective and reflect on the institutional mission, the curriculum has to be developed based on information about the nursing practice, the needs of patients, the context, in which the graduates will provide nursing services, as well as the needs of students. The gathered information has to be processed and conveyed into terminal objectives and curriculum plan in the best way possible. Outside of the formally developed plan, the nursing curriculum has to involve informal curriculum that includes different activities, which the stakeholders experience during the learning process. Activities of informal curriculum can motivate students and reinforce the formal learning process.

Its mission is to create opportunities that will allow students to gain professional knowledge and skills, so that after graduation they could provide competent nursing services, contributing to positive change in the healthcare environment and quality life of society (Billings & Halstead, 2010). Thus, the evidence-informed, context-relevant, and unified curriculum is based on evidence about requirements of the society and students and is responsive to the environment, in which nursing services are offered.

Analysis of Philosophical Approaches and Learning Theories Used in Nursing Curriculum

Among the knowledge and skills that the graduated nurses are awaited to possess are the general nursing theory, psychosocial and biological sciences, patient care skills, as well as critical thinking and information processing abilities. The knowledge that students have to obtain is too extensive and vast. Therefore, instead of trying to memorize all the facts, the objective of the institutional/college program is to teach students how to analyze and synthesize information. Hereby, clustering and presenting learning content in an effective way is crucial for nursing practice. The nursing courses are usually taught in four blocks, thus allowing students to spare time for practice and critical reflection (Yildirim, ?zkahraman, & Karabudak, 2011).

Since “knowledge and skill in themselves do not guarantee understanding,” a teacher has to play different roles in order to assist nursing students in the thorough learning program (Yildirim et al., 2011, p.177). Hereby, the special attention should be given to the underlying processes of students’ transformation, reflection, as well as dialogue that occur between students and a teacher (Keating, 2011, p. 5). Overall, the educator in nursing is viewed as a mentor and guide, who through the methods of instruction and discussion, as well as coaching, helps the students to understand theory and practice of the study, provides informative feedback and invites to self-assessment. Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example

Many researchers underline the crucial importance of developing critical thinking abilities in students from the nursing course, as critical thinking in nursing is “an essential component of professional accountability and quality nursing care” (Yildirim et al., 2011, p.175). Critical thinking contributes to successful analysis, information research, logical reasoning, prediction, and transformation of knowledge. Educators have to incorporate different critical thinking strategies that will enable students to become active participants in the learning process and foster interaction between students, as well as between students and their teacher. Curriculum in Nursing Paper Example.