NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 2 Implementation of Curriculum

• NURS FPX6108 Assessment 2

Curriculum Overview

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Capella University

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Nurse training equips professionals with critical skills. A well-structured nursing program will establish clear expectations for the impact nursing will have on the profession, the results of nursing practice, patient safety, and the performance of the health care delivery system. The integrated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, is an example of a complete program. The School of Nursing, in 1939, acquired a position as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This paper will explain the relationship between mission, standards, outcomes, and current program evaluation procedures.

Curriculum Identification, Organization, and Learner Population

Understanding the purposes of a program is necessary in order to assess it from a broad context. The University of Pittsburgh’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) aims to prepare high school students to practice as beginning generalist nurses. This program entails four full years of on-campus study at the Pittsburgh campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Those who graduate from this program are eligible for the NCLEX-RN (University of Pittsburgh, 2024).

The sector needs a diverse and well-trained community of learners to develop and respond to the demands of the nursing workforce. In reference to the nursing student population at the University of Pittsburgh includes students who are direct-from-high-school students as well as intra-school transfer students (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The nursing program at the University of Pittsburgh allows students to complete more than 1,200 hours of clinical internship and practicum at various hospitals, clinics, and community settings (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The nursing program is an accessible tool to learners by offering the theory and the extensive preparation necessary to practice as a professional generalist nurse.

Mission Statement Linkage to Curriculum

There is no question that the purpose and philosophy of the nursing profession, as well as the curriculum of the nursing profession, are reflected in the mission statements of an organization. An example of the mission statements at the University of Pittsburgh is: “To prepare the highest quality nurses to provide holistic care for patients/individuals, families, and communities across all populations” (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The aim is to show that the organization wants to offer a supportive and inclusive environment for all people of all ages and abilities and of all ethnicities and gender identities (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). In addition, the nursing curriculum and Cultural Competence are inclusive of the mission values and the array of clinical placements.

Synchronizing the curriculum of an organization with its mission offers the opportunity to create a purpose and value connection with the organization. The multiple facets of curriculum development focus on the organization’s mission. The program adopts the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics to shape caring and respect for all people’s dignity, and to advocate for all people to be included within the bounds of one’s practice (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The integration of practice and scholarship anchored in an evidence framework is realized in curriculum design (Sangwa & Mutabazi, 2025). This is through the development and incorporation of multiple interprofessional education (IPE) courses, health equity courses, and community-based clinical practice courses.

Course List, Sequencing, and Organization

An ordered list of courses in the nursing curriculum provides a framework that faculty members can use to organize advanced nursing knowledge and practice. Pitt’s BSN uses a four-year curriculum divided into two years of liberal arts and sciences followed by two years of clinical nursing. The early nursing course focuses on the skill of assessing the patient. The later courses focus on nursing practice of multiple system organ failing patients (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This is evidence of a curriculum designed with the AACN (2021) recommendation of progressive complexity in learning in mind.

Arranging the courses this way allows students to build on clinical skills learned earlier. The inclusion of simultaneously running nursing and/or basic science and liberal arts courses within the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences allows students to make interconnections about patient care (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The students will take several NCLEX practice tests as part of the nursing curriculum. The last practice test is offered during the last 3 days of the program, and it is a fully comprehensive NCLEX exam with a review built in. The last course list and its descriptions, as well as a curriculum guide and course order, will be in the appendix.

Professional Standards, Guidelines, Competencies, and Technology

The nursing program addresses the integration of various external frameworks for quality and regulatory oversight in the nursing profession. As an example, the University of Pitt’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The CCNE has set rigorous criteria for the quality of baccalaureate nursing programs (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The program is aligned to the core competencies of The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021). Core competencies include the provision of patient-centered care, teamwork, evidence-based practice and research, partnerships with patients, families, and communities, quality improvement, and the application of informatics.

Currently, all elements of nursing education employ some level of technology. Integrated Digital health technology is a part of nursing education, enabling care that is both safe and of quality in the contemporary health care system. In the Pitt Nursing Program, technology is incorporated in the curriculum through the varied patient care technologies, clinical information systems, and the application of simulation technology in the skills labs to provide practice opportunities for students (Uppor et al., 2024).

Research indicates that the simulation technology helps students develop clinical reasoning skills and decreases patient safety risk associated with beginner-level nursing students (Uppor et al., 2024). Pitt helps nursing graduates gain technology skills for the entry-level practice, allowing graduates to be eligible for employment in the contemporary health care systems, and also helps graduates be compliant with the requirements of the Nursing State Board in order to obtain their practice license.

Learning Outcomes and Meeting Needs of Diverse Learners

Student Learning Outcomes (LOs) reflect the skills and behaviors rooted in a discipline that a student is expected to have at the end of a program. The Pitt BSN Program’s Outcomes correspond with the AACN (Association of American Colleges of Nursing) Essentials (2021). Program graduates are required to apply nursing theories to justify clinical judgment across all practices and areas of their discipline. Outcomes are set and defined in four progressive tiers based on previous years’ levels of clinical and academic excellence (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The four tiers are based on concepts of educational theory and are meant to guide each student toward achieving mastery, irrespective of clinical and academic achievement (Kayyali, 2025).

Graduates of an academic nursing program must engage with the educational diversity of the numerous nursing students in their program. To build a culturally competent professional nurse, the program has a cultural competency course and requires that all clinical placements be in community and acute care environments (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The Pitt BSN Program shows that graduates are professional nurses who can serve a variety of clients through its expected learning outcomes and their integration with AACN (2021) standards.

Process Timeframe and Stakeholders for Curriculum Currency

The nursing profession trend calls for particular stakeholder involvement in the review process of curriculum revisions. The CCNE accreditation cycle indicates that the Pitt BSN program will undergo review until 2034, and the curriculum of the Pitt DNP program will undergo review during this time as well. Faculty, students, clinical partners, hospital administrators, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing play an important role in building, maintaining, and assuring the relevance of the health care curriculum and workforce practices. Partner and faculty-initiated recommendations will assist in developing a health care curriculum relevant to workforce and practice changes.

Rigorous review of curricula demonstrates the incorporation of appropriate nursing practice and essential competencies. For that reason, the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh undertakes this work as members of the committees and engages in the review of their course content, clinical practice components, and assessment of learning outcomes.

Obafemi (2024) states that nursing curricula should be reviewed no later than a year (and optimally, no later than two years), and should focus on the level of student success, first-attempt success in the nurse entry exam, and employer satisfaction. It is thus evident that Pitt’s BSN program curriculum is aligned with the foundational practice standards as well as the anticipated standards and will support the practices of the nursing profession and an evidence-based approach.

Conclusion

Based on the course’s description, it seems that the program’s alumni engage in safe, effective, and equitable professional practice. The University of Pittsburgh’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program also captures the University’s mission and goals in aligning with the AACN Competency Standards and CCNE accreditation. Likewise, the intentional and comprehensive development of the program’s offerings is evident.

Learning outcomes reflect a safe, current, and well-articulated nursing educational program. The program exemplifies a strong dedication to the development of nursing education and a well-structured and active approach in this regard. It sustains the program’s relevance in the swift evolution of the healthcare system.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

Kayyali, M. (2025). Transforming education. Cultivating Flourishing Practices and Environments by Embracing Positive Education, 119–148. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9466-3.ch004

Mashwama, X., Thwala, W., & Baleni, Z. (2025). Construction Industry Development Board Postgraduate Research Conference, 244–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99204-9_21

Obafemi, A. A. (2024). Digital Commons @ ACU. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/760/

SANGWA, S., & Mutabazi, P. (2025). Open Journal of Transformative Education & Lifelong Learning (ISSN 3105-305X), 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65655/0859ab04

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). Bachelor of science in nursing program. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/programs/undergraduate-bsn

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). BSN program student learning outcomes. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/programs/bsn/learning-outcomes

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. (2024). Philosophy, mission, & goals. https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/about/our-philosophy-mission-goals-values

Uppor, W., Klunklin, A., Viseskul, N., & Skulphan, S. (2024). Effects of experiential learning simulation-based learning program on clinical judgment among obstetric nursing students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 92, e101553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2024.101553