Curriculum Overview, Framework, and Analysis
The healthcare delivery system has been expanding recently because of the inclusion of modern technology and various demographic factors. These changes have led to a significant move in the line of innovation that aims to respond to the changes (Krugman & Goode, 2018). For example, new evidence-based programs have surfaced to respond to various healthcare issues. Again, various curriculum programs have been developed to equip healthcare professionals with the correct skills and competencies that can aid in solving problems within the healthcare system. The basic nursing curriculum that has been in place for the longest time is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This program is a fundament unit in nursing practice. Therefore, the purpose of this assignment is to evaluate the BSN curriculum and analyze its features and how it helps nursing focus on its current and future goals.
Population of Leaners
BSN is a degree program that equips students with the skills to practice nursing and to advance to registered nurses (RNs). This curriculum provides fundamental and practical nursing skills that allow its graduates to practice nursing effectively. Completing this course is an initial certification toward becoming an RNs nurse (Krugman & Goode, 2018). The population of learners in this program includes interested international and local students with the minimum GAP merits from any degree in a related field. The population also includes students or candidates who have earned RN status through an associate degree program and are looking for advancement in their careers.
The Need for BSN Course
The dynamics in the current healthcare system have increased the demand for healthcare professionals. However, the increased demand has been for highly qualified nurses with the correct certifications and qualifications in advanced nursing practice (Parolisi, 2020). The demand has also caused an increase in the population of students and innovation in the nursing delivery system. For example, the current nursing practices have been shifting from general care delivery to client-oriented care, such as home-based care (Krugman & Goode, 2018). These unique nursing delivery models are unavailable in the general population, causing a high demand for qualified nursing practitioners. Therefore, more RN nurses are needed in the healthcare industry for the currently qualified nurses to meet the current healthcare needs. Again, the role of RN nurses has expanded as they are required to undertake complex duties that used to be assigned to doctors. As such, there is an urgent need to obtain a BSN program to satisfy the roles needed in the market. Therefore, the BSN program will enable more healthcare professionals to join the nursing practice.
Mission Statement
The mission statement is a significant aspect of developing a successful nursing program. The mission statement should focus on achieving educational goals for students and equipping them with a holistic view of nursing. This perception trains nurses to commit to achieving the patient-care goal and improving quality of life (Krugman & Goode, 2018). The mission statement for an institution offering a BSN program is to equip the bachelor nurses with skills of undertaking holistic, competent, evidence-based practices and applying ethics in healthcare. These goals are accomplished by equipping then nurses with advanced nursing practice skills. The mission of all institutions offering BSN programs is to transform the narrative in healthcare by allowing nurses to learn additional skills that are significant in solving the current issues affecting healthcare.
Philosophy
The universities offering BSN programs are committed to advancing healthcare quality by offering baccalaureate education programs to nurses. The faculty supporting bachelor’s education in nursing is aligned towards providing a foundational system that equips learners with preparedness skills in their career mores in the current dynamic healthcare environment (Krugman & Goode, 2018). The philosophy of the BSN program matches the mission statement to ensure that they communicate similar culture to the students. For instance, the philosophy represents the core beliefs of patients, higher education, health, and nursing.
In the nursing platform, biological and social components impact healthcare delivery. The healthcare environment that affects the patient wellbeing includes the family, community, cultural background, and socioeconomic status. Most of the current healthcare issues have remained an eyesore because of the inadequate approach to the issues affecting the surrounding healthcare (Iheduru-Anderson, 2021). The BSN program comes with adequate measures that train nurses to look at the complexities in healthcare through the lens of the environment. Approaching the environmental issues and addressing them protects and promote health within the community. Each patient requires a complex holistic approach that would give better patient outcomes. However, solving the complex holistic approach in healthcare requires highly skilled nurse practitioners developed through the BSN program.
The current nature of nursing is changing faster, requiring nurses to work collaboratively with the patients to meet the desired holistic goal. Applying for evidence-based programs while blending them with clinical skills is significant in offering patient-centered care. Healthcare maintenance is the role of both nurses and patients (Iheduru-Anderson, 2021). While the patients have a role to play in advancing the quality of care, nurses require the right skills to approach community issues and meet the expected outcome. Patient education has been common in the recent past as it positively impacts healthcare outcomes. However, meeting the goals of patient education requires the skills of nurse practitioners, which this program provides.
Education is a continuous life process that starts as an undergraduate and goes to a doctor of nursing. The increase in educational advancement comes with increased professionalism in care. A strong educational foundation allows nurses to research translation and develop more evidence-based programs to approach healthcare problems (Iheduru-Anderson, 2021). Promotion of learning and acquisition of advanced knowledge in nursing allows many healthcare professionals to gain the skills for approaching issues affecting the healthcare sector. An increase in the number of BSN nurses has an impact on the solution of nurse-patient shortages, which are some of the issues affecting the healthcare system.
Goals
The nursing faculty has five main goals: patient safety, competency, and holistic and effective patient-centered care. These goals align with the philosophy and framework of the BSN nursing program (Parolisi, 2020). The goals of the BSN program address all the aspects of nursing and focus on meeting quality and safety outcomes in healthcare.
One of the goals of the student undertaking a BSN program is that students can think critically on issues of nursing and the nursing process to assess and analyze healthcare issues in a given clinical setting (Parolisi, 2020). This goal is important because it allows the students to approach the clinical setting with a broad and wide level of thinking. The changing healthcare systems need students who are aware of the changes and can apply their knowledge from the BSN program to counter the new healthcare concerns.
The second goal of this program is that it would equip students with the skills of advocating for patients. The need to provide better care to all patients, irrespective of their condition, is a culture based on cultural values (Parolisi, 2020). The nurses would adopt effective communication platforms to ensure that patients receive approaches to care and a better outcome. These nurses would also apply various patient measures to improve the overall care process.
The student would also seek educational opportunities to advance their professional growth and acquire more skills in healthcare. The BSN program opens up students’ thinking, allowing them to grab opportunities and equip their professionalism with additional short-term courses that make them skills in healthcare-related issues (Parolisi, 2020). This comes from a nurse with the urge to climb the career ladder in healthcare.
The Course Design
BSN program is a course that takes 4-5 years, with the general education requirement being a background course on nursing practice. The course takes a total of 60 credit hours and total clinical hours of 765. The students must score credit in all the courses this program provides (Salsberg, 2018). The courses a divided into fall and spring courses to meet the full-time allocated for the BSN course. Upon successfully completing all the courses, the student would be able to graduate with BSN.
Evaluation Process
Evaluating nursing programs is important in ensuring that the program’s goals are met. The student’s ability after the program would be evaluated by the number of new approaches and measures designed to counter some of the recent healthcare issues (Krugman & Goode, 2018). The increased development of evidence-based practices by the students would be a sign that the BSN course has heightened their understanding of nursing. These nurses would also be at the forefront in forming nursing and patient policies meant to change their healthcare units’ operations.
The skills of BSN nurses would also be evaluated on their support of preventive care. These would be seen in how they organize health promotions and approach the community healthcare problems (Krugman & Goode, 2018). The success of such holistic approaches would ascertain the value of BSN nurses in modern healthcare.
Conclusion
The overall goal of the BSN curriculum is to ensure that nurses with RN qualifications join the BSN program to advance their skills in delivering healthcare. Such nurses are aware of the changes in the healthcare environment and their role in mitigating the current healthcare problems. Therefore, BSN programs have a practical aspect of cementing nurse knowledge, increasing their alert levels, being optimistic, and participating actively in healthcare-related issues.
References
Iheduru-Anderson, K. C. (2021). Students’ perspectives of factors related to delayed completion of online RN-BSN programs. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00574-7
Krugman, M., & Goode, C. J. (2018). BSN Preparation for RNs: The Time Is Now!. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 48(2), 57-60. doi: 10.1097/NNA.000000000000057
Parolisi, T. (2020). Experiences of graduates in Massachusetts of the United States from a RN-to-BSN program. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 7(2), 206-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.02.001
Posey, L., & Pintz, C. (2017). Transitioning a bachelor of science in nursing program to blended learning: Successes, challenges & outcomes. Nurse Education in Practice, 26, 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.10.006
Salsberg, E. (2018). Changes in the pipeline of new NPs and RNs: Implications for health care delivery and educational capacity. https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/bitstream/handle/10713/8977/Salsberg_ChangesInThePipelineOfNewNPsAndRNs_NLI2018.pdf?sequence=1
