The need for significant reform: a practice-driven approach to curriculum

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Healthcare Systems

Background:

• The healthcare environment is rapidly evolving, necessitating graduates with adaptable skills and perspectives.
• Traditional nursing education models may not adequately prepare students for contemporary healthcare challenges.
• Curriculum revolution in nursing is essential to meet the demands of a changing health landscape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore structural and power relationship issues in implementing a practice-driven, phenomenological approach to undergraduate nursing curricula.
• To examine the implications of integrating nursing practice with academic learning for curriculum reform.
• To discuss the meaning, benefits, risks, outcomes, and evaluation of a practice-driven nursing curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of experiences from a collaborative undergraduate nursing program.
• Exploration of structural and power dynamics in curriculum implementation.
• Phenomenological approach grounded in nursing practice and academia.

Main Results:

• Revised structural and power relationships between nursing education and practice are vital for substantive curriculum changes.
• A practice-driven approach necessitates a re-evaluation of how nursing is taught and learned.
• Successful curriculum reform requires aligning educational systems with evolving nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• Fundamental changes in nursing curricula require addressing systemic issues in education and practice.
• Grounding nursing education in both practice and academia is key to preparing competent professionals.
• Transforming nursing education necessitates a shift in the power structures linking academia and practice.