Re-imagining of an undergraduate, second-degree entry, accelerated nursing program's curriculum utilizing a...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Postmodern Education Theory

Background:

• Traditional nursing education methods emphasize memorization over critical thinking, failing to meet modern healthcare demands.
• There's a critical need for future-oriented, adaptive nursing curricula that prioritize learner needs and contemporary healthcare challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the construction of a learner-centered, postmodern, concept-based nursing curriculum.
• To foster inquiry skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, and experiential learning in nursing students.
• To promote autonomy, self-direction, lifelong learning, transformational learning, emancipatory learning, and metacognition.

Main Methods:

• Extensive review of nursing knowledge (2013-2023), theories, frameworks, and global healthcare trends.
• Grounded in constructivist paradigm, employing interpretivist, critical, feminist, and indigenous lenses.
• Utilized the Strength-Based Nursing framework as the core guiding framework, developing 21 core concepts and 192 sub-concepts.

Main Results:

• A novel concept-based nursing curriculum was formulated, integrating diverse theoretical lenses.
• The curriculum structure is built upon the Strength-Based Nursing framework, ensuring comprehensive coverage of modern nursing knowledge.
• Development resulted in 21 core concepts and 192 sub-concepts, reflecting current and future healthcare needs.

Conclusions:

• The developed curriculum prepares nursing students with essential skills for contemporary healthcare.
• Nursing educators require support and professional development to transition to co-learner and facilitator roles.
• This approach fosters critical thinking, adaptability, and lifelong learning crucial for the evolving healthcare landscape.