Part 1
The role of the nurse educator requires specialized knowledge and skills. One of the essential competencies necessary for the role is the ability to develop relevant curricula for the preparation of future nurses. It is therefore important that nurse educators comprehend and stay well-informed of trends and issues which may impact nursing education
This task is intended to facilitate your ability to develop competency statements and related learning objectives; select relevant learning assessment and evaluation tools; create learning activities that promote critical thinking and reflective skills; and actively engage and support students with diverse learning needs. As an educator, you are also required to demonstrate effective analytical skills in the evaluation of methods used to determine the achievement of program outcomes. In addition, in this task you write an element of an exam. This will help you comprehend different item types and the process involved when you develop items for course exams. These learning activities assist in building an educational foundation between the classroom setting and the clinical setting.
Scenario:
The nursing faculty at Hartford University have developed a new BSN curriculum and begun the work of designing and developing individual courses. You are a full-time, tenure-track faculty member assigned to develop courses in level one—the first year of the nursing program. Students at this level have completed all prerequisites for the BSN program.
You are asked to develop the Nursing Fundamentals course, the first clinical course students engage in once admitted to the BSN nursing program. According to the results of the nursing program entrance exam, the students who will be taking the Nursing Fundamentals course were found to have an equal distribution of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. The Nursing Fundamentals course will introduce students to nursing care across the lifespan. It will also provide students with the tools necessary to perform basic nursing care in clinical settings and will provide the framework for future clinical courses (e.g., medical/surgical, pediatric, obstetrics/gynecology, mental health, and community nursing specialties).
Requirements:
A.  Develop four competency statements specific to the Nursing Fundamentals course that are based on contemporary professional nursing standards and guidelines.
1.  Explain how each of the four competencies you developed aligns with one of the following national nursing standards and guidelines:
•   Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
•   National League for Nursing (NLN)
•   Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
2.  Create three learning objectives for one of the course competencies that you developed.
a.  Discuss one criterion you will use to select appropriate learning resources to achieve the learning objectives you created.
3.  Discuss one of the following approaches to course design that you will use in developing the Nursing Fundamentals course:
•   traditional
•   contemporary
•   blended
 
B.  Discuss two of the following types of strategies you will use to evaluate learning outcomes in the Nursing Fundamentals course:
•   portfolio
•   papers and essays
•   role playing
•   oral questioning
•   audio and video recording
•   service learning
 
1.  Describe one advantage for each of the strategies you will use.
2.  Describe one disadvantage for each of the strategies you will use.
 
C.  Describe how criterion- and norm-referenced tests will be used in the Nursing Fundamentals course by doing the following:
1.  Discuss how criterion-referenced tests will be used in the Nursing Fundamentals course.
2.  Discuss how norm-referenced tests will be used in the Nursing Fundamentals course.
 
D.  Discuss construction of test items and responses as it relates to the development of the Nursing Fundamentals course by doing the following:
1.  Discuss advantages of using true-false test items.
2.  Discuss disadvantages of using true-false test items.
3.  Discuss advantages of using multiple-choice test items.
4.  Discuss disadvantages of using multiple-choice test items.
 
E.  Write one multiple-choice item for one of the learning objectives you created in part A2.
1.  Describe key considerations involved with item stem construction.
2.  Describe key considerations involved with developing response options.
3.  Discuss how posttest reviews may benefit students.
 
F.  Identify cultural and societal factors that may impact students’ learning in the classroom.
1.  Describe how a student’s cultural and personal background could impact learning in the classroom.
 
G.  Discuss how to facilitate learning through learning objectives and related activities.
1.  Develop one learning activity to assist learners in meeting one of the learning objectives you created in part A2.
a.  Describe how the learning activity meets the learning objective you selected in part G1.
2.  Explain how the learning activity meets one of the following learning styles of the students in the course:
•  visual
•  auditory
•  kinesthe
 
H.  Discuss the importance of creating a learning activity that promotes critical thinking skills.
1.  Identify one of the following critical thinking strategies that you believe will best facilitate the development of self-reflection skills:
•   case study
•   collaborative learning
•   debate
•   concept mapping
•   simulation
2.  Describe how you would implement the selected strategy from part H1 in the classroom to best facilitate the development of self-reflection skills.
 
I.  Provide one example of a best practice for providing feedback to students in the clinical setting.
 
J.  When you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.
 
PART 2
The role of the nurse educator requires specialized knowledge and skills. Essential competencies include being able to develop relevant curricula for the preparation of future nurses as well as participate in program evaluation activities. Implementation of a nursing education curriculum can be influenced by community stakeholders, available technology, the needs of diverse learners, cultural and societal factors, and interdisciplinary partnerships. This performance assessment addresses strategies for implementing and evaluating a nursing education curriculum.
Scenario:
You are a faculty member on the nursing curriculum committee tasked with transitioning the current associate degree program to a four-year baccalaureate nursing program. The committee has completed the work of designing the new curriculum and it will be fully implemented in approximately eight months
Requirements:
A.  Discuss ways to keep stakeholders informed about new curriculum development by doing the following:
1.  Discuss two strategies that should be implemented to keep current students in the associate degree program informed about the new curriculum development.
2.  Discuss two strategies that should be implemented to keep healthcare and community agencies informed about the new curriculum development.
 
B.  Discuss the possible challenges and opportunities with curriculum development by doing the following:
1.  Discuss a possible challenge for faculty who may be required to teach in the existing associate degree program and the new BSN program simultaneously.
2.  Discuss how the integration of interdisciplinary partnerships in the new curriculum will enhance student learning.
 
C.  Develop a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the new BSN curriculum in which you do the following:
1.  Identify one evaluation method you will use to assess the effectiveness of your curriculum design.
2.  Explain the type of data you will need to collect in order to support your evaluation method from part C1.
3.  Explain how data collection can inform course improvement.