The AACN Essentials journey.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Healthcare Workforce Training

Background:

• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education provide updated standards for nursing programs.
• There is a national trend among nursing schools to revise program outcomes and transition from a concept-based to a competency-based curriculum.
• Implementing these new standards is crucial for preparing the future nursing workforce effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the initial stages of a quality improvement initiative focused on integrating the AACN Essentials into an undergraduate nursing curriculum.
• To share practical lessons learned during the implementation process to assist other nursing institutions.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement initiative was undertaken within a large, multi-campus school of nursing.
• The initiative focused on the early-phase implementation of the AACN Essentials into the existing undergraduate curriculum.

Main Results:

• The study documents the early experiences and challenges encountered during the curriculum transition.
• Key lessons learned from the implementation process are identified.

Conclusions:

• The transition to competency-based education guided by the AACN Essentials requires careful planning and adaptation.
• Sharing implementation experiences is vital for supporting other nursing schools navigating similar curriculum transformations.
• This initiative provides a roadmap for successful integration of new educational standards in nursing.