Accelerating to Practice: Defining a Competency-Based Curriculum Framework for Nursing Education Part 1.

AIM: This study aims to address the transition-to-practice dilemma for novice nurse, define gaps, and lay a foundation for a curriculum framework. BACKGROUND: The National League for Nursing has challenged and supported nurse educators in developing teaching methodologies that prepare novice nurses for professional practice. Over a decade ago, compelling research fueled a debate that continues today, with nursing education and practice research reporting lack of readiness for practice by novice nurses and the goal of identifying gaps and potential strategies for solutions. METHOD: The Utstein-style meeting strategy consensus approach was used to refine the data gaps reported in the literature. RESULTS: The findings from this work generated a strong foundation for a transition-to-practice curriculum framework. CONCLUSION: The Utstein-style meeting provided for a diverse conversation across multiple perspectives. Participants worked collaboratively in real time to further illuminate and refine the data gaps and inform nursing curricula.

Leading as Servant in Times of Crisis.

ABSTRACT: Using servant leadership as a framework, leaders within a school of nursing guided faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic and called them to address social injustice in the summer of 2020. A model was developed to sustain growth and build resilience of students, faculty, and staff. Influenced by external and internal drivers that stimulated the need for change, strategies were implemented based on core principles of servant leadership. Outcomes emerged in three categories: collaborative strengths demonstrated by students, faculty, and staff; performance of the community to be intentional about change; and transformative practices leading to enhancement of internal and external partnerships.

Climate Change and Population Health: Incorporating Stages of Nursing's Political Development.

Climate change is the greatest public health threat of the 21st century and is associated with environmental degradation and deleterious health consequences. In 2019, the Lancet Commission Report on Health and Climate Change: Ensuring that the Health of a Child Born Today Is Not Defined By a Changing Climate (Watts et al., 2019) examined the critical health issues that children will face in the era of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions (GGEs) are responsible for an alarming increase in the warming of the planet, shifts in weather patterns, loss of arable land, and exacerbations of acute health issues, chronic health problems, and disaster-related health consequences. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of climate change and the associated deleterious health consequences in our climate-changing world. The paper will also examine the stages of political development to advance the 21st century role of the nursing profession in climate and health advocacy and policy.

Justice, Equity, and Inclusion in a School of Nursing: A Quality Improvement Program.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increased racial and ethnic diversity in the general population of the United States, the nursing workforce remains mostly White. Schools of nursing (SON) have increased recruitment and enrollment; however, students who represent racial and ethnic minoritized groups experience microaggressions, injustice, and social exclusion. This quality improvement program sought to equip faculty with skills to create a just and inclusive SON. The program was guided by the Institute for Healthcare's Model for Improvement. METHOD: Five workshops were developed and implemented during two semesters. Workshops were led and moderated by a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant. RESULTS: After the workshops, participants committed to create an inclusive environment, intervene when microaggressions occurred, implement curricular changes, and recognize themselves as members of a privileged group. Postworkshop discussions and reflections led to new initiatives in the SON. CONCLUSION: This faculty development program demonstrates programs to enhance justice, equity, and inclusion can be implemented successfully within SON. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(1):20-27.].

Leadership in Nursing Education for Advancing a School of Nursing-Led Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health.

BACKGROUND: This article examines innovations in the development and advancement of a school of nursing-led climate change center and innovative leadership related to climate change and health in nursing education. METHOD: The integration of health consequences of climate change in curricula and continuing education is essential to prepare nursing students and nurses for clinical practice. RESULTS: Transformational leadership is a key concept for effective leadership in nursing education to address climate change as the looming public health challenge of the 21st century. Transformational leadership strengthened one nursing program's curricula, dissemination of relevant scholarship, and achievements with public health outreach related to climate change, climate justice, and health. CONCLUSION: Nursing education leaders can influence nursing practice and improve societal health outcomes related to the health consequences of climate change across all levels of education and continuing education for professional nurses. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(9):528-531.].

Gerontological nursing content in general medical/surgical textbooks: where is it?

To provide quality care to the rapidly growing aging population, nursing education will need to be transformed. Although several approaches will be used to meet this challenge, fundamental to most nursing programs is the use of a general medical/surgical nursing textbook. This article examines the quantity and quality of gerontological nursing content found in five general medical/surgical nursing textbooks published between 2009 and 2011. The analysis shows that gerontological nursing content is poorly covered and of low quality. The findings point to the need to work with publishers to improve the quality and depth of content related to care of older adults in nursing textbooks.

Quality care for older adults: the NLN Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) project.

There is a significant need to improve the amount and quality of gerontological nursing content in pre-licensure nursing programs in the United States.The National League for Nursing's Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) project is designed to enhance gerontological nursing content in all pre-licensure nursing programs. Nurse educators can use the ACES framework to engage nursing students in studying the care of older adults through innovative and unique teaching/learning strategies, such as unfolding cases and simulation.The ACES framework, which includes the ACES Essential Knowledge Domains and Nursing Actions, is designed to enhance gerontological nursing content in pre-licensure nursing programs without adding additional content to curricula. Use of the ACES framework in pre-licensure nursing programs will help promote quality care of older adults in a variety of settings.

Fostering geriatrics in associate degree nursing education: an assessment of current curricula and clinical experiences.

The proportion of older adults in the population is rapidly increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. Because more than half of all new graduates eligible to enter the nursing workforce are prepared in associate degree (AD) programs, it is critical these new nurses are well prepared to care for older adults. This study examined how the care of older adults is currently taught in AD programs. Representatives from 531 AD programs responded to a survey providing information about the structure and content of AD curricula, the clinical sites and instructional resources used, and faculty expertise. Findings highlight opportunities for enhancing geriatric content and experiences in AD curricula through the creation of standards for geriatrics in AD nursing programs, the use of diverse clinical settings, and the creation of strategies that strengthen the focus on the care of older adults in acute care across the curriculum.

Documenting health promotion services in community-based nursing centers.

A data-collection tool developed to document health promotion services and describe program participants was used by 7 community-based nursing centers for 12 months. Data analysis results found that a wide range of services were offered to target populations across the life span, with adults aged 60 and older being the largest group of program users.