Impact of Competency-Based Education for Current Nursing Educators 5. The AACN recognizes that transitioning to a competency-based approach, regardless of whether programs integrate this approach into a course-based framework or allow students to progress through the curriculum as they develop specific competencies, may require up to three years to fully implement. Certainly, BSN, RN-to-BSN, and Advanced Practice Nurse programs planning for CCNE accreditation will want to begin the process of integrating competence into their curriculum and evaluation process. Given the emphasis on documentation of competence in all health care professionals, other nursing programs may also want to consider ways to identify necessary competencies. The use of active teaching-learning strategies for these competencies and measures to evaluate student performance over time in a variety of clinical contexts is also important for all nursing curricula. Consider the following as possible strategies to move toward developing a competency-based framework for your nursing program. Step 1: Faculty as a whole: Explore the principles of competency-based education, using resources recommended below and discuss ways in which this approach would be helpful to students in the nursing program. Step 2: Faculty as a whole or Faculty Committee: Compare current Program Goals/Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) to the AACN Essentials (domains, competencies, and sub-competencies). Integrate competencies (or sub- competencies) into these goals/outcomes as appropriate. Identify the competencies which the group believes are essential for an advanced beginner. Be sure that the competencies clearly articulate the behaviors students should demonstrate. Each program goal/SLO should reflect at least one of the domains and related competencies. Step 3: Course Faculty: Review course objectives to ensure that they are consistent with Program Goals/SLOs. Revise course objectives, as necessary. Tagging each objective with the number of the relevant program goals/SLOs is helpful to document the integration of core competencies throughout the curriculum (https://www.aacnnursing. org/essentials/database ). Step 4: Course Faculty: Plan active learning strategies throughout class and clinical experiences where students can develop skills in identified competencies. The AACN Interactive Teaching Resource Database may be helpful here. ( https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials/database ) Step 5: Course Faculty: Construct evaluation methods for each competency to effectively capture the level of competency of each student. Step 6: Course Faculty: Map the Program Goals/ SLOs, course objectives, teaching learning activities, and evaluation strategies, using the AACN Essentials Curriculum Mapping Tools ( https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials/tool-kit/ curriculum-mapping-tools). Step 7: Course Faculty/Evaluation Committee: Continue to evaluate effectiveness of the competency-based curriculum in terms of student performance during the program and after graduation. Step 8: Faculty as a whole: Engage with current and new practice partners to strategize, plan, and implement the new Essentials. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Essentials/Roadmap-to-New-Essentials.pdf )
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