AACN Essentials and nurse practitioner education: Competency-based case studies grounded in authentic practice

The 2021 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Practice articulate the standards for baccalaureate and graduate level nursing education in the 21st century. Integral to these expectations is the call for nurse educators to implement a competency-based education format. For nurse practitioner education programs, the curriculum must not only align with core competencies described by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and with the standards of the National Task Force (NTF), but will now also be framed in the Essentials. This article demonstrates a template for how nurse practitioner faculty can develop learning opportunities for students to demonstrate competency as they integrate and apply knowledge in the context of authentic practice situations. The impact of this innovation and standardization of nursing education sets the stage for a dynamic learning environment where all students can expect the same education and every employer can expect the same competence from their new hires.