Faculty Preparedness for Developing, Evaluating and Revising BSN Curriculum

Nurse educators are barraged with competencies, standards, outcomes, and initiatives to consider when developing, evaluating, or revising curriculum. Expert clinicians enter educator roles with minimal understanding of the expected skill set (Fitzpatrick, 2014). Research using constructivist grounded theory study discovered and compared the perceptions and processes of faculty related to their preparedness and confidence in evaluating, developing, and revising nursing curriculum. Fifteen faculty members from four colleges were interviewed. Faculty’s constructions were used to develop a middle range descriptive theory Challenged and Overwhelmed. From further faculty recommendations on strategies Supported and Empowered: a Model of Understanding to Support Faculty’s Growth and Competence in Curriculum Development, Evaluation, and Revision was created to support faculty’s growth and competence in curriculum development, evaluation and revision.

This session will share the seven themes found in the research study, such as the low confidence found in most faculty, including the very experienced when it came to assessing curriculum. Faculty shared strategies that will benefit current educators, potential educators, and administrators.  These shared strategies and the model can be used to assist faculty’s growth and competence in curriculum development, evaluation and revision. 

The study supported Paulson’s (2011) findings regarding the lack of qualified faculty to meet nursing program enrollment needs. Additionally, the research confirmed Anderson’s (2009) findings that clinicians transitioning to the educator role feel like they are drowning, and confirmed Weidman’s (2013) finding that faculty who were mentored had an easier transition when they did not have a nursing education background.  McDermid, Peters, Jackson, and Daly’s (2012) finding that nurse academics are from clinical backgrounds with potentially little preparation for the faculty role Dr. Halstead, past NLN president, and current executive director of the Commission for Nursing Accreditation (CNEA), recommended a greater commitment to training nurse faculty leaders and aligning with the recommendations of the Future of Nursing report (2012a). The study provides faculty recommendations on how this education might be stimulated.

Excellence in education is dependent on well-prepared faculty with skills in curriculum design and evaluation (NLN, 2006). Quality information for educators is provided for evaluating and improving current nursing curriculum, and to guide strategic planning and facilitate nurse program success.  Faculty perceptions of how to increase competence, and improve preparation for their role developing, evaluating and revising curriculum are shared. These strategies can be used to inform practice, resulting in better nurse educator preparedness. Improving educational strategies through better competency will improve the nursing profession.