Unifying a school of nursing: Developing a framework to guide nursing education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Higher Education

Background:

• Internal and external factors necessitated a reassessment of nursing programs.
• Alignment with professional standards, competencies, and institutional mission was required.
• Existing baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral programs needed updating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new curricular framework for a School of Nursing.
• To conceptually support nursing curriculum development and design.
• To ensure alignment with professional standards and institutional values.

Main Methods:

• Employed participatory inquiry.
• Applied principles of the nursing complexity leadership model.
• Utilized complexity science and improvement science.

Main Results:

• A new curricular framework was developed.
• The framework establishes a shared mental model through three functional definitions and six guiding constructs.
• The collaborative effort ensures consistency for future curriculum development.

Conclusions:

• The new framework provides a consistent foundation for nursing programs.
• It shapes the identity of the School of Nursing, its students, and its future vision.
• This initiative enhances the coherence of nursing education across all program levels.