Undergraduate pediatric nursing education: issues, challenges and recommendations

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Pediatric Nursing
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Undergraduate pediatric nursing education requires review to ensure alignment with current healthcare needs.
• Existing curricula may not adequately address contemporary health issues affecting children.
• Faculty expertise and clinical site availability pose challenges in pediatric nursing training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a national review of content and clinical experiences in undergraduate pediatric nursing education.
• To identify barriers affecting pediatric nursing curriculum implementation.
• To provide recommendations for strengthening the pediatric nursing curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Survey distributed to 596 member programs of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing; 344 schools responded.
• A 39-item survey collected data on school demographics, faculty, pediatric classroom and clinical information, and barriers.
• Recommendations for curriculum enhancement were gathered from participants at the 2011 Institute of Pediatric Nursing Nursing Forum.

Main Results:

• Over 59% of programs offered 2 hours or less on crucial topics like pediatric genetics, environmental health, and child nutrition.
• Clinical learning predominantly occurred in inpatient medical (68%) and surgical (40%) units, with limited community-based experiences.
• Recruiting qualified pediatric faculty (49% reported difficulty) and securing clinical practice sites (76% reported as a barrier) were significant challenges.

Conclusions:

• The undergraduate pediatric nursing curriculum needs adjustments to incorporate current child health issues.
• Expansion of clinical learning experiences to diverse settings where children live, learn, and play is recommended.
• Addressing faculty shortages and clinical site competition is crucial for effective pediatric nursing education.