NURS6107 addresses the big-picture work of nursing education — designing entire programs and courses that produce competent graduates. While NURS6105 focuses on teaching within a course, NURS6107 zooms out to the program level: how courses fit together, how program outcomes align with accreditation standards, how curriculum responds to evolving healthcare needs, and how systematic evaluation ensures the program is achieving its goals.
Curriculum design components
| Component | Description | Key Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy/mission | The program's foundational beliefs about nursing, education, and the learner | What do we believe about nursing practice? What kind of graduate are we developing? |
| Program outcomes | The competencies graduates must demonstrate — aligned with AACN Essentials or NLN standards | What should a graduate of this program be able to do? |
| Organizing framework | The conceptual structure connecting courses — concept-based, systems-based, or body-systems model | How do courses relate to each other? What gives the curriculum coherence? |
| Course sequencing | The logical progression of courses from foundational to advanced, ensuring prerequisite knowledge builds appropriately | In what order should students take courses? What must come first? |
| Content mapping | Systematic tracking of where each competency is introduced, reinforced, and mastered across the curriculum | Is every program outcome adequately addressed? Are there gaps or redundancies? |
| Evaluation plan | Systematic process for assessing whether the curriculum is achieving its outcomes — formative and summative | How do we know the program is working? What data do we collect and when? |
What NURS6107 covers
Accreditation alignment is a practical reality that shapes every curriculum decision. Nursing programs must meet standards set by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) or ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) to maintain accreditation — which is required for graduates to be eligible for NCLEX and for the program to receive Title IV financial aid. NURS6107 teaches students to understand accreditation standards, map curriculum to those standards, prepare self-study documents, and use accreditation reviews as a catalyst for continuous improvement rather than a compliance burden.
Concept-based curriculum (CBC) is a major innovation in nursing education that NURS6107 examines. Traditional nursing curricula are organized by body system or medical specialty (cardiac nursing, psychiatric nursing, maternal-child nursing). CBC organizes content around nursing concepts (perfusion, oxygenation, thermoregulation, coping, safety) that apply across populations and settings. The advantage: students learn to think conceptually rather than memorizing disease-specific protocols, which develops the clinical judgment needed for NCLEX-RN's Next Generation format and for practice in rapidly changing healthcare environments. The challenge: requires complete curriculum redesign, faculty retraining, and different textbook structures.
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Key topics in NURS6107
- Curriculum frameworks: Tyler's rationale, Bevis and Watson's caring curriculum, concept-based curriculum, competency-based education
- AACN Essentials: the 2021 New Essentials framework, domains, competencies, and sub-competencies for BSN/MSN/DNP
- Accreditation standards: CCNE and ACEN requirements, self-study preparation, continuous improvement documentation
- Course design: writing measurable learning objectives, selecting content, aligning assessment with outcomes
- Program evaluation: systematic evaluation plans, aggregate student data analysis, program outcome assessment, stakeholder feedback
- Curriculum revision: needs assessment, environmental scan, gap analysis, managing faculty resistance to change
- Clinical placement design: clinical hour requirements, simulation substitution policies, preceptor selection, clinical site evaluation
- Legal and ethical issues: academic integrity, ADA accommodations, due process for student dismissal, grade appeals
AACN Essentials (2021) domains for BSN curriculum
- Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice — integration of liberal arts, sciences, and nursing knowledge
- Domain 2: Person-Centered Care — holistic, individualized care across the lifespan
- Domain 3: Population Health — promoting health, preventing disease, addressing SDOH
- Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice — translating evidence into practice
- Domain 5: Quality and Safety — applying QI and safety principles
- Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships — collaborative practice across professions
- Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice — navigating healthcare systems and policy
- Domain 8: Informatics and Healthcare Technologies — using technology to improve care
- Domain 9: Professionalism — ethical practice, accountability, professional identity
- Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development — lifelong learning and leadership
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Frequently asked questions
A concept-based curriculum (CBC) organizes nursing education around transferable concepts (perfusion, oxygenation, infection, coping, safety) rather than medical specialties or body systems. Instead of a standalone "cardiac nursing" course covering heart failure, MI, and arrhythmias, a CBC integrates cardiac content under the concept of "perfusion" alongside peripheral vascular disease, shock, and anemia — because the nursing assessment and interventions for impaired perfusion share common principles across these conditions. The shift is driven by content saturation (nursing knowledge expands faster than curriculum hours can absorb), NCLEX Next Generation format (which tests clinical judgment, not disease-specific recall), and the need for graduates who can think critically about novel situations rather than only recalling memorized protocols. The challenge is implementation: it requires every faculty member to teach differently.
Both are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as accrediting bodies for nursing programs, but they serve different program types. CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) accredits BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at colleges and universities — it is an autonomous arm of AACN. ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) accredits all levels including practical/vocational nursing (LPN/LVN), diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, and clinical doctorate programs across academic settings including community colleges. Neither is "better" — the choice often depends on the institution's program mix. Both require self-study documentation, site visits, and ongoing compliance reports. NURS6107 teaches the accreditation process for both because MSN-prepared nurse educators may work in programs accredited by either body.
A curriculum map (also called a content map or competency map) is a matrix that tracks where each program outcome or competency is addressed across the curriculum. Rows represent program outcomes; columns represent courses. Each cell indicates whether that outcome is Introduced (I), Reinforced (R), or Mastered (M) in that course. The map reveals: gaps (outcomes not addressed anywhere), redundancies (outcomes covered excessively in multiple courses), premature mastery expectations (mastery expected before sufficient introduction/reinforcement), and logical sequencing issues. It is a planning tool during curriculum design and an evaluation tool during accreditation self-study. In NURS6107, students learn to create, interpret, and use curriculum maps to ensure program coherence and accreditation compliance.