A helpful tool within a concept-based curriculum is the assignment of concept maps to enhance comprehension of each concept addressed. Concept maps are visual representations of information which can take the form of charts, tables, flow charts, or Venn diagrams. Numerous references can be consulted to describe methods for developing a concept map. Specifically, to support conceptual learning in a nursing concept-based curriculum, Higgens and Reid (2017) described the use of a Concept Analysis Diagram (CAD). This CAD illustrates a visual representation of a concept analysis by presenting the correlation between concept, antecedent, attributes, related concepts, consequences and sub-concepts, in a consortium of nursing schools who were implementing a Concept-Based Curriculum. Students must complete this diagram with information pertinent to each specific concept in the curriculum and use it as a reference as they move through the curriculum. This analysis fosters an understanding of the correlation and interrelatedness of concepts and patients, thus encouraging higher level thinking and reinforces safe and effective clinical practice. Utilizing Concept Maps 2. Developing Clinical Judgment 3. Regardless of which active learning structure is chosen, the ultimate goal of their use is to help students focus on ways in which the concept or exemplar under discussion can be applied in a variety of clinical situations. Barrett, et al., 2022 noted that one of the benefits of a concept-based curriculum is a shift from a focus on medical diagnoses to an emphasis on resolving clinical problems. This change in focus requires increased clinical judgment to transfer learning across concepts and situations. This benefit is consistent with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) research to develop the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. The 2018 NCSBN Strategic Practice Analysis, the national survey of the practice of new graduates which served as the basis of the development of the new Next Generation NCLEX ® testing approach, found that clinical judgment, problem solving, and critical thinking were among the top five skills required of entry-level RNs. ” Clinical judgment was linked directly to more than 46 percent of tasks performed by entry-level nurses, while problem solving and critical thinking were linked to more than 30 percent of tasks completed by entry level nurses.” These initial findings provided evidence of the importance of clinical judgment, problem solving, and critical thinking to the competent practice of entry-level nurses and the necessity of measuring these skills within the NCLEX. As a result, the NCSBN constructed the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model which then guided the development of innovative item types that can validly and reliably measure clinical judgment and decision-making in nursing practice. (https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/18-Strategic-Practice-Analysis.pdf). If the goal is to prepare students for the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) and practice after licensure, students’ course of study must focus on the application of clinical judgment in a wide range of clinical scenarios. Focusing on developing students’ skills to apply concepts across situations is an ideal way to prepare students for the NGN—and to practice safely in clinical practice following graduation.
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