A process-driven curriculum in nursing education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Traditional nursing curricula often prioritize content over the underlying learning strategies and cognitive processes.
• There is a growing need for innovative educational designs in nursing to meet evolving healthcare demands.
• Newer accreditation standards, such as those from the National League for Nursing (NLN), encourage creative curriculum approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel curriculum model based on learning strategies and thinking processes, rather than solely on content.
• To identify and define the core operational components essential for this process-oriented curriculum.
• To provide an example of an innovative curriculum design that aligns with contemporary educational best practices.

Main Methods:

• The study involved conceptualizing and structuring a curriculum framework.
• Key cognitive and operational processes central to nursing practice were identified and categorized.
• The authors defined five critical operations that form the basis of the curriculum.

Main Results:

• A curriculum model was developed, shifting the focus from content delivery to the cultivation of learning strategies and thinking processes.
• Five critical operations were identified: clinical process, consultation, managerial process, educative/learning process, and investigative process.
• This framework offers a structured approach to designing nursing education that emphasizes skill development and critical thinking.

Conclusions:

• Curricula can be effectively designed around learning strategies and thinking processes, offering a valuable alternative to content-based models.
• The identified five critical operations provide a practical foundation for implementing such a curriculum.
• This approach supports the development of adaptable and critically thinking nursing professionals, aligning with modern educational standards.