AACN Essentials as the Conceptual Thread of Nursing Education

In March 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) endorsed and published a report that included a reenvisioned framework for nursing education. This report introduced innovative and bold ideas for transforming nursing education and pedagogy from a concept-based model to a competency-based model of nursing education. This new model of nursing education establishes a core set of expectations and standards of competency-based nursing curricula common to all nursing educational programs moving forward. Before this transformative change can occur, nurse educators must first understand what is expected of them before they can adapt current nursing curricula to meet the future needs of our communities and employers. This article will dissect the Re-envisioned Essentials and provide the reader with new terminology introduced by the Essentials document, as well as the core expectations and standards established by the AACN for future nursing education and curricula. With this new understanding, we will introduce and discuss strategies supporting the transitional process of moving from concept-based educational models to competency-based models using a think-backward approach to change that begins with an alignment of program-level learning outcomes with national standards and working backwards to build assessments.