The selection and organization of curricular experience in nursing

Curriculum is the educational design of learning experiences for the students. Curricular experiences include course content as well as learning activities. The selection and organization of curricular experiences must also reflect the philosophy of the school. The identifying and organizing of curricular experiences begins with the analysis of curriculum objectives. The most commonly used approach in selecting learning experiences is the logical approach in which the process is treated as content in curriculum development. This paper attempts to analyse the selection and organization of the first year curricular experiences of the proposed curriculum by applying the logical approach. The proposed curriculum is designed for a 2-year diploma school of nursing. Nursing is offered as a continuum of increasing complexity throughout the three semesters of each year. The curricular framework is based on the health field concept; curricular experiences are selected and organized in accordance with this concept. Courses related to the four elements of the health field concept become mandatory classes for all students. Similarly clinical experience is organized so that a total integration of knowledge from these four elements is enhanced. The first year students study the general aspects of health and health field concept; the nursing process; helping relationships and selected skills necessary for meeting patient's physiological needs. The last semester of the first year is a synthesis practicum proposed to integrate principles and theories which the students have acquired previously and to apply them to the practice of nursing.