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Designing an advanced pharmacology and therapeutics course through backward design and competency mapping
1Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, United States.
Background:
Competency-based education requires nurse practitioner programs to translate national competency standards into measurable course outcomes and aligned assessments. Faculty often seek practical approaches to operationalize the AACN Essentials and NONPF Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies.
Purpose:
To describe the application of backward design to develop and map course outcomes, observable behaviors, and assessments in an Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics course.
Methods:
Essentials and NONPF sub-competencies were mapped to observable behaviors, clustered into thematic domains, and synthesized into course outcomes, which guided development of competency-based assessments aligned with developmental performance levels.
Results:
This process produced six course outcomes derived from mapped sub-competencies and observable behaviors, each linked to exemplar assessments reflecting progressive competency development and alignment with national standards.
Conclusion:
This provides a structured, replicable approach for translating competency frameworks into measurable course outcomes and assessments, supporting implementation and accreditation alignment.
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