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Capella University

NURS-FPX6108 Curriculum Overview: Design, Develop and Evaluate

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Curriculum Evaluation

In today’s rapidly changing health care demands, curriculum evaluations are the vehicle for improvement in the nursing role of addressing those demands through optimal preparation through educational rigor and relevance. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has been in operation since 1939 when it started as the founding nursing program at the University of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, 2024); it is a program that was initially accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials provide the structure for a competency-based education (CBE) model of the 232-course of study in the BSN program. An analysis of the structure of the BSN program, the theoretical frameworks, objectives of courses and assignments, and the evaluation processes will provide for a comprehensive and coherent program evaluation.

Part I: Synopsis of Curriculum Overview

• Curriculum Identification, Organization, and Learner Population

When developing a curriculum for nursing, the institution and the people for whom the curriculum is developed are of critical importance. The BSN programme at the University of Pittsburgh is geared towards new high school graduates who want to become generalist registered nurses working at an entry-level position in any type of healthcare facility (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). This four-year degree is full-time and on campus, so students may take the NCLEX-RN when they finish their degree. This is a group of graduates from a range of learners, such as some who leave school and go straight into this programme, some who complete another course at the University and transfer to this programme, etc.

Providing a well-trained workforce of learners who are equipped with a variety of skills is essential to sustain a nursing workforce in complex healthcare delivery systems. During the course of their program, students complete between 1,200 hours of supervised clinical experiences, which can be performed at hospitals, clinics, or in a community setting (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Due to this type of clinical learning, the students possess theoretical as well as practical skills which are required by the modern-day generalist nurse. The program has a wide spectrum of learners and diversity of clinical experiences, which are indicators of the program’s efforts to produce competent nursing graduates prepared to enter the workforce.

• Mission Statement Linkage to Curriculum

An institution’s mission statement is intended to be used to inform all aspects of the nursing curriculum development process. The mission of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is to educate high-quality nursing professionals to deliver nursing services to individuals, families, and communities of diverse populations (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The mission outlines a goal of inclusion and equity based on ethnicities, races, cultures, ages, disabilities, and gender identity that are addressed in the cultural competence requirements of the curriculum. This was complemented by the fact that Sangwa and Mutabazi (2025) claim that when learning is mission-oriented, it “yields cohesive learning experiences with a clear purpose that can enhance student competency and professional values.

If the mission is connected to the design of the curricula, all pedagogical choices will be in keeping with the central values and the duties of the institution. The program is grounded in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, which is expected to be adhered to by all nurse practitioners in providing care for all individuals with kindness, consideration, and respect (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The assignment of this ethical responsibility is via the interprofessional (IP) education courses, health equity (HE) modules, and clinical placement in the community. Curriculum alignment to the mission of the institution and the ethical principles of professional practice will enable graduates to be reflective practitioners who will be committed to equitable and patient-centered care.

• Professional Standards, Guidelines, Competencies, and Technology

The curriculum design that the nursing program develops is guided and validated by outside benchmarks or standards, such as accreditation, professional standards, etc., in which a nursing program. All baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States have been set a high bar by the CCNE; the BSN program has met these standards (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The curriculum design also reflects the 10 profession-specific domains from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, but the emphasis is on the competencies: person-centered care, informatics, interprofessional collaboration, etc. With these outside criteria, the graduates will be able to obtain licensure in the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) examinations.

As it was found that the ability to provide safe, quality care to patients was dependent on digital health competencies, technology integration in nursing education is now imperative for the profession to be able to practice safely in today’s clinical care context. The core curriculum for BSN programs at Pitt will include patient care technologies, health information systems, and simulation labs (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Education based on simulation can improve newly graduated nurses’ clinical decision-making competence and prevent patient safety incidents, as concluded by Uppor et al. (2024). With a technology competency-based integrated approach, Pitt students could be well-rounded in their education about the technology needed by the healthcare system today.

• Learning Outcomes and Meeting Needs of Diverse Learners

The student learning outcomes indicate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that every graduate of the nursing program needs to possess upon completion of their nursing program. Outcomes are intended to be built upon throughout the program (Pitt BSN will build year to year in both clinical and academic abilities (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Kayyali (2025) also agrees that an evidence-based instructional design that sets up a Tiered Open Enrollment process will positively impact material mastery for students who have a range of learning capabilities. Thus, with tiered learning outcomes, every student can achieve proficiency in nursing as per the starting point of knowledge and will develop further through systematic learning experiences.

Another measure of quality for a state program is meeting the learning needs of a diverse student population (i.e., all the students). Assurance that cultural competency is integrated into the curriculum is required for the Pitt’s baccalaureate (BSN) program, and there are clinical placements in both community and acute-care settings (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). Equitable assessment strategies coupled with inclusive instructional strategies will help to ensure positive academic outcomes for ALL students (Mashwama et al., 2025). AACN’s competency and 2020-student learning outcomes indicate that program graduates are competent and qualified (not required) to practice with a variety of patient populations across a variety of settings.

• Process Timeframe and Stakeholders for Curriculum Currency

Organizations need to have a system in place to evaluate nursing education programs, continuously and with the participation of several institutions, to stay up-to-date with healthcare knowledge. As part of their required accrediting process, the CCNE follows an organized approach to review educational programs on an ongoing basis that includes input from faculty, students, clinical partners, and a member of the State nursing board (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). As part of this coordinated approach, there are three main bodies that are collaborating together: hospital administration, SBN, and faculty-driven curriculum committees review the content of all courses each year to ensure all coursework is in sync with the constantly evolving healthcare environment, evidence-based practice research, and workforce needs.

The fact that there is a formal system for review of curricula is an indication that the graduating nurses will be educated on current issues, according to current competencies in their field. According to Obafemi (2024), nursing education curriculum should be evaluated once every two years or annually using students’ performance measurements, pass rate of NCLEX exams, and pass-out employer survey. In the Pitt BSN program, this requirement is fulfilled by regular review of course content, clinical requirements, and outcomes by a committee of faculty members, which, in total, determines that the Pitt BSN curriculum is consistent with the latest practice and standards in the profession.

Part II: Synopsis of Curriculum Theory, Frameworks, and Models

• Fundamental Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework

An organizing curriculum design ensures that the process of developing points of engagement in the student’s learning experience has a clear design which underpins the armory of professional nursing competence over a period of time. The Pitt BSN program is organized by a competency-based education (CBE) model using the AACN (2021) Essentials as the educational framework for the curriculum. CBE also makes sure that all courses, assessments, and clinical experiences are connected to the measurable competencies practiced by a nurse across 10 domains of practice (AACN, 2021). Mani (2025) finds that a CBE framework to help prepare graduates for clinical practice reduces the time taken to become competent when starting a hospital role.

Since the skills associated with a nurse are measurable, standardized, and skills that students should demonstrate on graduation from an accredited nursing program, the BSN program at Pitt’s is based on nursing competencies for the new graduate. Ten domain competencies are included in the AACN Essentials (2021), including the provision of person-centered care, promotion of population health, interprofessional collaboration, and use of informatics to improve patient outcomes, which aligns with the requirements of the NCLEX RN. Further, the sequential approach from simple to complex in the program (University of Pittsburgh, 2024), which will start from basic sciences in Years 1 and 2, and continue on to multi-system care in Years 3 and 4 (Kumar & Rewari, 2022), will provide scaffolding of curriculum sequencing that is aligned with the institutional mission and will therefore yield more coherent and effective professional programs.

• History and Major Concepts of the AACN Essentials Framework

To understand how competency-based education has evolved to become one of the leading approaches to nursing curriculum design today, one must also know the history of the development of competency-based education. The education of the health professions introduced a new concept, “competency-based education,” in the 1970s, with the aim of bridging the gap between nursing students’ knowledge acquired in school and their performance in the clinical environment. In 1986, the AACN published the first edition of the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 1986); and then, on July 19, 2021, they revised it and adopted a competency model based on the three domains (AACN, 2021). Thus, the shifts being implemented to the Pitt BSN curriculum following its significant restructuring in 2021 were in direct response to and reflective of the AACN’s recent changes to the Essentials.

National nursing workforce data shows that the “prep gap” of new entering nurses was the reason for the creation of AACN Essentials (2021). Qazi and Al-Mhdawi (2025) found that in the new Essentials Framework, schools have experienced a substantial rise in NCLEX results of graduate IV compared to II & III Frameworks. The ten essential domains are covered in all four years of Pitt’s BSN program, which include scholarship for practice, quality and safety, professional behaviours, and personal-professional leadership. (AACN, 2021)

• Demonstration of the Framework within the Curriculum

Theory and theory related to the curriculum must be clearly demonstrated in the curriculum structure and content. At Pitt, NURS 4040 (Evidence-Based Practice and Research) directly addresses the domain of “Scholarship for Practice” by evaluating research, while NURS 4030 (Nursing Leadership and Management) provides evidence that the domains of “Professionalism” and “Interprofessional Partnerships” have been operationalized by utilizing team-based clinical events. Capstone experiences like NURS 4050 are the best evidence of effective operationalization of a theoretical framework in the curriculum.

The curriculum is scaffolded and outcomes-based, as evidenced by its built-in structure of NCLEX preparation. The Program’s three-day NCLEX review takes place at the end of the program, the University of Pittsburgh’s year 3 Diagnostic Prep Exam evaluates foundational mastery, and the year 3 Predictor Exam provides an evaluation at the end of the year 3 program (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The formative assessment checkpoints in programs are integrated throughout the curriculum and yield a significantly higher NCLEX first-attempt pass rate than programs lacking formative assessment checkpoints integrated throughout the curriculum, as reported by Mani (2025). The competency-based framework of the Pitt BSN Program is theoretically valid and implemented by these structural elements.

Part III: Synopsis of Course Development and Influencing Factors

• New Course: Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health

Aligning professional standards, programmatic goals, and emerging future workforce needs in healthcare is required when developing new courses for an existing curriculum. This course proposal outlines a new course (Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health) to be offered in the BSN Program for 3rd year (3rd) or 4th year (4th) students at the University of Pittsburgh. This is a 3-4 credit, blended (didactic/ simulation/hands-on) course where students will be exposed to using Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems through a mixture of instructor-led learning experiences in the classroom as well as hands-on learning experiences in the clinical setting throughout clinical placement experiences. This course directly focused on the AACN Essentials (2021) Informatics and Information Technology and the Quality/Safety aspects, as this area is not currently adequately covered in the curriculum.

With the growing presence of various forms of digital technologies in the various facets of healthcare delivery (Hants et al., 2023), it is clear that clinical decision-making in electronic health systems (EHS) will demand a more advanced set of skills in the interpretation of data and navigating technology among nurses. People who take the course acquire the skills needed to be an expert user of an EHR system (electronic health record system), data analytics, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and telehealth services and AI-assisted healthcare delivery methods. A competency-based education program in the field of informatics (Lewis et al. studied this type of approach) will ensure that nursing graduates are prepared to meet the current workforce demands in today’s clinical setting.

• External and Internal Factors Influencing Curriculum Design

In fact, external factors are an integral part of determining the appropriateness and responsiveness of nursing programs in creating a nursing curriculum. The creation of new technologies such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and artificial intelligence has profoundly impacted nurse competencies at the time of nurse entry (Amjad et al. 2023). Accrediting bodies such as CCNE and professional organizations (AACN) have started to demand that nursing programs incorporate evidence-based healthcare technology standards and evidence-based expectations about the future nursing workforce into the nursing curriculum (Welch & Smith 2022), indicating that all nursing programs need to have informatics education integrated into the nursing curriculum and can consequently produce eligible, employable graduates.

Working together in an organization is as important as verifying that the courses or programs to be offered are in line with the goals of the program and the institutional goals for the organization. The development of new curriculum is done by faculty in conjunction with the Academic deans, the simulation lab staff, and others involved in the curriculum and evaluated and implemented. One study (Brown et al., 2023) found that regular, interdisciplinary team meetings and making decisions using data would significantly improve the integrity and quality of the curriculum development process. There will be a strong possibility that when new courses are developed without the intention to do so in conjunction with the others in the program, the new courses will become separated from the mission of the program, the accreditation standards, and the overall goals of the program.

• Stakeholder Collaboration and Consequences of Non-Collaboration

It is suggested that the whole stakeholder group (internal and external) should be involved in the process of developing, designing, and implementing a curriculum. Both internal stakeholders (faculty/curriculum committees and academic leaders) and external stakeholders (clinical partners, accreditors, employers, and technology professionals) are part of this process. DelMonte et al. (2022) indicate that CCNE-accredited programs with a strong advisory structure and a diverse group of stakeholders have a higher graduation rate of job-ready graduates when compared to no advisory structure in the CCNE-accredited programs. In addition, collaboration with stakeholders to establish an advisory committee and to develop clinical relationships and assess ongoing feedback is required to develop an effective, responsive, and workforce-ready curriculum.

The lack of a way for all stakeholders who are developing a new curriculum (such as nursing programs) to work together could have a disastrous effect on those involved with the development of new curricula. For instance, if the new curriculum is not developed by everyone involved in developing it, then the chances are good that the new curriculum will be obsolete – it will not be compatible with current health care practices and will not be able to meet current accreditation requirements. Further, it is shown that there is a negative effect if it does not meet the acceptable standards on NCLEX exam performance and the quality of all nursing programs (Sheikoleslami et al., 2025). The above highlights the need to develop is the need for stakeholders working on the development of nursing curricula to work collaboratively, structured, and continually so that the credibility, effectiveness, and compliance with accreditation of the nursing programs will be ensured.

Part IV: Curriculum Evaluation

• Importance of Ongoing Curriculum Evaluation

A continuous assessment of nursing education program curriculum, provided by nurse educators and education administrators, is a component of quality nursing education. Thus, according to Obafemi (2024), there are two types of evaluation, namely the formative assessment, which takes place while the learning is going on, and the summative assessment, which is carried out after the learning experience. Both types of evaluations can be used by faculty, administrators, accrediting agencies, prospective employers, and students to evaluate whether program goals are being met. Nursing programs face the risk of not graduating students who are suitably prepared to meet the current and future demands of nursing practice and licensing if they are not continually assessed.

Overall, curriculum evaluations should be performed as frequently as needed to maximize effectiveness in a multitude of areas for the nursing program. Programs without evaluation are at risk of no longer meeting the AACN standards and CCNE accreditation standards or complying with regulations of their State Board of Nursing (Welch & Smith, 2022). Due to this, students who graduate from programs that fail to conduct regular evaluation have a poor pass rate on the NCLEX, a low level of readiness by their employers, and a low level of clinical competence upon completing their education (Obafemi, 2024). So, when planning an ongoing curriculum evaluation system, this shouldn’t be something added on, but one of the main pieces of evidence-based information.

• Criteria Important in Curriculum Evaluation

The development of solid constructs to accurately delineate an evaluative criterion is one of the foundations for a systematic and objective study of nursing programs. To fulfill this requirement, the Pitt BSN Program will rely on the following core evaluative criteria: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, employer satisfaction surveys, and the graduate employment rate (within six months of graduation) as the result of the Pitt BSN Program. Additional criteria that will be used to evaluate this nursing program will be: student retention/graduation rates; appropriate clinical placement; learning outcomes achieved per course level; and the alignment of the program with the competency domains identified by the AACN (2021). Lewis et al. (2022) report that more complete and multiple criteria evaluation systems ensure there is more compelling evidence of the effectiveness of a curriculum and the readiness of the graduates.

Several types of data are used to evaluate how well faculty and curriculum committee members are meeting the various criteria to evaluate programs, including: Data on students’ achievement; faculty courses; and simulation lab data, which will all be compared to like programs (Obafemi, 2024). Cultural competence, working collaboratively with other professionals, and technology use are all evaluated annually in the Pitt BSN program and ensure a relevant and rigorous curriculum that aligns with standards of the nursing profession through monitoring those areas.

• Pilot Testing in Curriculum Evaluation

Pilot testing is a technique that is implemented before full implementation of the program as a systematic evaluation of new parts of the curriculum. For the course in question (Pitt’s Proposed Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health course), pilot testing will involve teaching it to one cohort before being fully implemented into the course program. The faculty will be able to view real-time data on the students’ engagement, attainment of learning outcomes, effectiveness of the simulations, and development of EHR competencies. The process of designing a curriculum that takes care of the learner’s needs is described as repeating the test revision process as necessary to ensure that the new curriculum content meets the needs of learners and professional standards (Kumar & Rewari, 2022).

A great way to illustrate the use of pilot testing in nursing education is through the pilot testing of simulation-based modules before being rolled out into the entire programme. For instance, in the study conducted by Uppor et al. (2024), pilot testing of obstetric nurse and midwifery simulation-based learning programmes demonstrated a considerable improvement in the scores of clinical judgement after the introduction of these programmes in the nursing curriculum. In the Pitt BSN Informatics course, outcomes will be measured with pre- and post-trials, as well as with instructors’ observation and students’ satisfaction questionnaires to prevent an entire class from experiencing a large-scale failure based on evidence of a trial of a new course.

• Short-Term and Long-Term Curriculum Evaluations for Process Improvement

Short-Term Evaluation Strategies

The short-term evaluation of a curriculum will allow teachers to gain immediate and pertinent information on avenues for curriculum change and enhancement to deliver better learning outcomes to students in much shorter time. The Pitt BSN program features a number of short-term evaluations, such as end-of-semester course evaluations, mid-semester student feedback surveys, and clinical preceptor performance evaluations. Additionally, these evaluations identify deficiencies with regard to content delivery to students, student satisfaction, quality of their clinical placements, and effectiveness of faculty as instructors at that time. Formative evaluation tools give the chance for faculty to make changes in real time to the curriculum while reducing the potential for damage to be done to a student’s learning.

Long-Term Evaluation Strategies

Long-term assessment can be used to assess the longer-term effectiveness of the curriculum. An example of long-term evaluation could be monitoring outcomes of graduates beyond a few months or years after the conclusion of the program. For instance, the annual NCLEX-RN 5-year pass rates for the Pitt BSN program, annual employer satisfaction surveys (12 months after graduation), and career advancement of Pitt BSN Alumni are all long-term evaluation metrics chosen for the program. The most rigorous long-term evaluation approach of the BSN program at Pitt is through an accreditation site visit by CCNE conducted every 5-10 years, on average. As pointed out by Mani (2025), both short-term and long-term evaluation techniques have to be resorted to for educational programmes, as short-term evaluation techniques will be able to trace course problems, and long-term evaluation techniques will be helpful to trace the systemic strengths and weaknesses of a Programme.

Applying Evidence-Based Nursing Concepts to Improve Curriculum Development

Evidence-based Nursing and Educational Theories: Curriculum Design and Revision Decisions – Evidence-informed and evidence-based decision making is based on evidence-based nursing and teachings of educational theories. The AACN (2021) Essentials framework is an amalgamation of evidence-based research and consensus around competencies and practice of nursing to create a model based on empirical data (national workforce statistics), graduate outcomes research, and expert analysis of competencies required for nursing practice. Building on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the Pitt BSN program develops learning objectives that build over the course of the program, from knowledge and comprehension in year one, to synthesis and evaluation in year 4. The findings of Lewis et al. (2022) showed a significant positive impact on competency development when the curriculum’s learning objectives were aligned with evidence-based taxonomies throughout nursing curricula.

The following illustrates evidence that has been incorporated at each level of the Pitt BSN Program to support curriculum development: The use of high-fidelity simulations throughout the entire BSN Program reflects evidence-based concepts that high-fidelity simulations enhance clinical reasoning and reduce negative patient outcomes (Uppor et al., 2024). The integration of interprofessional education (IPE) modules within all courses of the program demonstrates the evidence surrounding team-based approaches to providing care that result in decreased errors and improved patient outcomes (Brown et al., 2023). The Pitt BSN Program is continually adapting evidence-based educational strategies, along with best practice nursing strategies, to improve the program for the graduates to serve the evolving needs of this profession.

Accreditation Body, Introduction, and Evaluation Criteria

Knowing who the accrediting organization is will provide some understanding of external quality control of the nursing program, and how it will affect the program’s curriculum and judgments. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has accredited the University of Pittsburgh’s BSN program. The National accreditation for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs is provided by CCNE, which has four criteria for accreditation: mission/governance, institutional commitment/resources, curriculum/teaching-learning, and program outcome measures (University of Pittsburgh, 2024). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) accredits the Master’s of Science in Nursing program at CCNE and exhibits high standards of accreditation for collegiate nursing programs throughout the United States (DelMonte et al., 2022).

CCNE program assessment requirements require evidence of how consistently learning goals are met and correspond to the AACN Essentials competency models. The following data points will be utilized by Evaluation Criteria Specific to the Pitt BSN Program and CCNE to ensure prior to meeting CCNE program criteria: NCLEX-RN first attempt pass rate, graduation rates, and retention rates, as well as employer/graduation satisfaction surveys. The process of alignment, review, and improvement based on the CCNE evaluation results is expected to be used routinely as a way to revise the program’s curriculum, allocate or acquire resources, develop faculty, and ensure compliance with accreditation requirements that in turn maintain the quality of these programs.

Conclusion

Curriculum Evaluation is an ongoing evaluation process that is evidence-based to support the continued quality and appropriateness of nursing education. Additionally, there are clear linkages between the BSN Program’s Institutional Mission, AACN Essentials, and the CCNE Accreditation and regular review of the BSN curriculum. Advanced Nursing Informatics and Digital Health is created to meet an identified need within the curriculum based on professional standards and/or needs in the workforce. The program’s short-term and long-term evaluation strategies are based on evidence-based criteria to ensure that the program continues to produce competent nursing graduates who are prepared for the workforce.