Competency-based curriculum in nurse practitioner education

Professional nursing standards and guidelines form the foundation for nurse practitioner curriculum. Nurse educators should understand the role these professional standards and guidelines have in the development of curriculum. Recently, nursing education has moved to a competency-based education with the release of the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Nurse Practitioner Role Core Competencies. Competency-based curriculum allows for a common understanding of the knowledge, skills, and experiences nurse practitioner graduates require for entry to practice. Competency-based education also provides consistent and uniform expectations for novice nurse practitioners on entry to practice. With the change to a competency-based curriculum, nurse educators can review and revise curriculum through refinement of courses, student learning objectives, assignments, and evaluations. Nurse educators have a responsibility to critically analyze student assignments and evaluations to ensure competencies are met multiple times through a variety of methods. In addition, nurse educators have the opportunity to use assignments that meet multiple competencies to modernize student learning. Refinement and revision lead to enhanced student critical thinking and provide opportunities for real-world training to improve student outcomes.