Actualizing veterans education in nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Military Education
• Competency-Based Education

Background:

• Funding from a west Texas university, College Credits for Heroes, and HRSA supported this initiative.
• Military veterans possess valuable training and experience often unrecognized in higher education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a competency-based education (CBE) model for awarding academic credit to military veterans.
• To facilitate the awarding of prior learning credits for upper-division nursing courses.

Main Methods:

• A partnership created the Competency Assessment Placement (CAP) model, a direct assessment method for credit.
• Faculty developed the CAP model to recognize military service training and experience.
• Performance data from the first cohort (Cohort I) using the CAP model were collected.

Main Results:

• The CAP model successfully awarded prior learning credits for nursing courses.
• Initial data from Cohort I indicate the model's effectiveness in recognizing veteran experience.
• Lessons learned during implementation were documented.

Conclusions:

• The CAP model offers a beneficial pathway for military veterans pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• Ongoing reflection on veteran needs, program improvement, and educational benefit policies will refine the CAP model.
• This competency-based approach enhances educational outcomes for veteran students.