Assignment: Identifying Curriculum Design and Theoretical Frameworks in Nursing Education Programs

Nursing educators searching for assignment guidelines on analyzing organizing designs like concept-based or competency-based frameworks alongside theoretical models for selected curricula in academic or clinical settings will find structured steps to enhance their papers.

Create a 3-5 full page paper from top to bottom in which you identify an organizing curriculum design and theoretical framework on which your selected curriculum is based. Incorporating recent advancements in hybrid learning models can illustrate how these designs adapt to contemporary educational needs.

Possible organizing designs or frameworks include simple-to-complex, stages of illness, nursing conceptual framework, concept-based, outcomes-based, competency-based, interdisciplinary, and others.

Introduction

For Assignment 2, you selected a specific nursing curriculum either in an academic setting, such as a school of nursing, or a clinical setting, such as a hospital staff development program. This assignment will focus on organizing curriculum design and theoretical frameworks, as well as models that can be applied to a range of curriculum and education offerings. Diversity in learner backgrounds increasingly informs these frameworks to promote inclusive education.

Overview

Using the same nursing curriculum you selected in Assignment 2, examine the theory, frameworks, and models upon which the curriculum is based.

Preparation

For this assignment, write a paper in which you identify an organizing curriculum design and theoretical framework on which your selected curriculum is based. Possible organizing designs or frameworks include simple-to-complex, stages of illness, nursing conceptual framework, concept-based, outcomes-based, competency-based, interdisciplinary, and others. Evidence-based practices from the 2020s emphasize integrating simulation for experiential learning in these designs.

As you prepare to complete this assignment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assignment.

• In your experience, what types of curriculum designs are commonly used to develop nursing curricula?
• What is the difference between curriculum design and a theoretical framework for a nursing program? Should both be identified? Collaborative discussions often reveal innovative ways to blend these elements effectively.

Requirements

Your paper for this assignment should include the following:

• Describe a selected health care curriculum.
• This should be an overview of the curriculum you selected in Assignment 2. Make sure to provide relevant context for the curriculum and program that will help the audience under your review of the theory, frameworks, and models upon which the curriculum is based. Telemedicine integration has become a key contextual factor in recent curriculum updates.

• Identify the fundamental organizing design and theoretical framework or model that is the basis for a selected nursing curriculum.

• Describe the history and major concepts of a selected organizing design and theoretical framework or model.
• Include examples that are relevant within the context of your chosen curriculum.

• Explain how an organizing design and theoretical framework or model is demonstrated within a selected nursing curriculum.

Additional Requirements

• References: Include references from at least three peer-reviewed journal articles, less than five years old, and cited in proper APA format.
• Length of submission: Your submission should be 3–5 full pages in length from top to bottom, not including the title page and the reference page, and it must follow proper APA style and formatting. Digital submission platforms now often include accessibility features to support diverse learners.
• Font and font size: Any APA-approved font, 12 point.

Rubric

• Describes a selected health care curriculum and provides additional context for the curriculum and program.
• Identifies the fundamental organizing design and theoretical framework or model that is the basis for a selected nursing curriculum and explains why this is an appropriate design and framework for the curriculum.
• Describes the history and major concepts of a selected organizing design and theoretical framework or model and explains any aspects of the history that are especially pertinent to this curriculum. Global health initiatives have influenced many recent conceptual evolutions.
• Explains how an organizing design and theoretical framework or model is demonstrated within a selected nursing curriculum and provides specific examples.
• Conveys clear purpose of the assignment in a tone and style well-suited to the intended audience. Supports assertions, arguments, and conclusions with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to organizational, professional, and scholarly communication standards, including APA style and formatting.

The selected curriculum focuses on a baccalaureate nursing program at a university emphasizing patient-centered care through integrated clinical experiences. The fundamental organizing design follows a concept-based framework grounded in Jean Watson’s Caring Theory as the theoretical model. History of concept-based design traces back to shifts from content-heavy approaches to promote critical thinking since the early 2000s. Major concepts include health promotion, ethical decision-making, and evidence-based practice tailored to diverse populations. Within this curriculum, the design manifests through threaded concepts across semesters building from foundational to advanced applications in simulations. Faculty incorporate caring moments in clinical rotations to align with Watson’s principles fostering therapeutic relationships. Ongoing evaluations ensure the framework adapts to emerging healthcare trends like telehealth (Lee and Willson, 2018, https://doi.org/10.15344/2394-4978/2018/271).

 Your Study Bay Recommended References

• Al-Omari, E., Dorri, R., Blanco, M. and Al-Hassan, M., 2024. Innovative curriculum development: embracing the concept-based approach in nursing education. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 19(4), pp.324-333. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2024.03.002
• Choperena, A., Rosa-Salas, V. L., Esandi-Larramendi, N., Diez-Del-Corral, M. P. and Jones, D., 2023. Nursing educational framework: A new nurse-driven, conceptually guided approach. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 36(1), pp.29-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12459
• Lee, S. K. and Willson, P., 2018. Concept-based Curriculum Development, Implementation, and Evaluation: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Nursing & Clinical Practices, 5, p.271. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15344/2394-4978/2018/271
• Prentice, D., Madhani, F., Moore, J., Jhirad, A. and Matus, M., 2025. Theoretical and Practical Leadership in Nursing Curriculum: A Scoping Review of the Literature. SAGE Open Nursing, 11, p.23779608251380215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608251380215
• Wallner, M., Mayer, H., Adlbrecht, L., Hoffmann, A. L., Fahsold, A., Holle, B., Zeller, A. and Palm, R., 2023. Theory-based evaluation and programme theories in nursing: A discussion on the occasion of the updated Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 140, p.104451. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104451