LEARNING OUTCOMES 2
Curriculum Plan: Learning Outcomes
Educating nursing students in evidenced-based practice (EBP) is challenging for nurse
educators as today’s educational curriculum is changing to a more student-centered environment.
By keeping evidence-based practice as the primary focus in nursing education, this may improve
students’ knowledge and skills; however, this does not ensure that students will apply these
concepts in the clinical setting. Although the importance EBP integrated in nursing education is
critical; however, undergraduate nursing programs continue to focus on how to conduct research
rather than emphasizing utilizing research from evidence-based perspectives (Malik et al., 2017).
Proverbs 10:17 states “People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who
ignore correction will go astray” (Bible Gateway, n.d.).
Nursing Curriculum
One of the most challenging aspects of the nurse educator role is to make choices about
what constitutes fundamental content in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. These choices
made by each nurse educator are motivated, in part, by initiatives from the Institute of Medicine,
the Carnegie Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These initiatives address
nursing curriculum outcomes which prepare nurses who can function safely and effectively in a
fast-paced, rapidly changing, nonlinear complex care environment with expanded expectations
for today's nursing practice (McComb & Kirkpatrick, 2017).
Curriculum Outcomes
Upon completion of the baccalaureate nursing program at the University of Maine School of
Nursing, the student nurse will be able to:
1. Communicate effectively with patients, as well as members of the interdisciplinary
care team to provide quality patient-centered care.
LEARNING OUTCOMES 3
2. Apply knowledge, clinical expertise, and critical thinking skills in the provision of age
appropriate evidenced-based patient care.
3. Provide culturally competent holistic nursing care to diverse populations.
4. Apply nursing informatics and health care technology to support decision making and
enhance patient care outcomes.
5. Demonstrate professional ethical standards within the scope of nursing practice.
Competency Outcomes
Competency outcomes identify the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills
students need to develop throughout the nursing program. Nursing faculty will set attainable
goals to assess student competencies throughout each foundational course of the nursing
program. It is the program expectation that students at each level will build upon core
foundational knowledge to achieve each level competency outcome (Sullivan, 2020).
Level Outcomes
Competency Level 1 (Freshman): Advocate for stable, culturally diverse patients
through the provision of evidence-based care consistent with legal and ethical
principles of the nursing process.
Competency Level 1 (Freshman): Prioritizes and provides safe, quality patient-centered
care for stable patients utilizing critical thinking skills and effective
communication within the healthcare interdisciplinary team.
Competency Level 2 (Sophomore): Advocate for and communicate with culturally
diverse patients and families through the provision of evidence-based care for
varied patient populations consistent with legal and ethical principles of the
nursing process.
LEARNING OUTCOMES 4
Competency Level 3 (Junior): Advocate for and communicate with culturally diverse,
increasingly complex, critically ill and/or multiple patients and their families
while providing holistic evidence-based care consistent with legal and ethical
principles of the nursing process.
Competency Level 4 (Senior): The graduate will advocate for and effectively
communicate with culturally diverse patients, families, significant others, and
members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team consistent with legal and ethical
principles of the nursing process, so patients can reach their maximum potential
outcome in various healthcare environments.
LEARNING OUTCOMES 5
References
Bible Gateway. (n.d.).EBible gateway passage: Proverbs 10:17 - New living
translation.Ehttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=proverbs+10%3A17&version=NLT
Malik,EG., McKenna,EL., & Griffiths,ED. (2017). Envisaging the use of evidence-based practice
(EBP): How nurse academics facilitate EBP use in theory and practice across Australian
undergraduate programmes.EJournal of Clinical Nursing,E26(17-18), 2669-
2679.Ehttps://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13705
McComb,ES.EA., & Kirkpatrick,EJ.EM. (2017). Infusing systems and quality improvement
throughout an undergraduate nursing curriculum.EJournal of Nursing Education,E56(12),
752-757.Ehttps://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20171120-10
Sullivan,ED.ET. (2020). An introduction to curriculum development. In D.EM. Billings & J.EA.
HalsteadE(Eds.),ETeaching in nursing: A guide for facultyE(6thEed., pp.E103-134).
Elsevier.
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