Course Development and Influencing Factors
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The process of curriculum development is the most critical aspect of nursing education. It should be carefully designed so that every student can develop fundamental competencies after getting detailed insight into each course in the curriculum. It is the utmost responsibility of the nursing educator to add informative and useful courses in the curriculum which guide the nursing students to adopt the best evidence-based practices for improving patient care (HUNG et al., 2019).
Appropriate Course to Include in a Selected Curriculum
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Based on the evaluation of the curriculum of the RN to BSN online program at Cincinnati university, there is a need to add a course named reduction of medication errors. The faculty has described the need for adding this course to the RN to BSN program curriculum. This course will address the reasons for utilizing the medication error approach, its implications, benefits, and, challenges associated with reducing medication errors.
Where the course in Curriculum will Best Fit
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The course will fit best in the curriculum and coincide with the course of informatics for the professional nurse that is already present in the curriculum. It will strengthen the concepts and understanding of using the informatics approach in the nursing profession and will guide the nurses on how to prevent medication errors by utilizing informatics and technological tools. Both these courses will complement each other and will be the best guideline for nursing students to become an expert in clinical practices (California, 2020).
Rationale For Adding a Course
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Medication errors have become a serious issue in the healthcare sector of the US. It has become a leading cause of death among the population. In the US, Medication errors result in 6000 to 7000 deaths every year and harm to hundreds and thousands of people. People suffer physically as well as mentally due to these errors. According to a source these errors cost about $40 billion each year and impose a financial burden on healthcare organizations (Tariq & Scherbak, 2022). The consequences of these errors are increased concerns over patient safety, loss of confidence in healthcare staff, compromised quality of healthcare, and a bad impact on the reputation of healthcare organizations. This situation addresses the need to create awareness among healthcare nurses about medication errors and their prevention. The addition of the course on the reduction of medication errors in RN to the BSN curriculum will develop the best understanding of evidence-based practices that can reduce medication errors. The students will be able to practice safe interventions for patient care and risks associated with these errors will also be reduced. This course is the need of current time to improve patient safety and reduce the financial burden as well (Rodziewicz et al., 2022).
Topical Outline for a Course
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The outline will be carefully designed by the faculty member so that it can address every kind of issue in the administration of medication. These topics are included in the outline:
- Introduction to the concept of medication errors.
- History and demographic data about medication errors.
- Types of medication errors.
- Factors contributing to medication errors.
- Strategies to prevent medication errors.
- Outcomes of interventions for the prevention of errors.
- Adopting the best evidence-based practices in clinical settings.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The nursing educator can use different tools to present the outline of the course such as PowerPoint, online student curriculum portal, and pamphlets, and can also add further topics based on the feedback of students.
Topics Related to Other Courses in the Curriculum
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The topics added to the course content are related to other courses in the curriculum to the great extent. These topics are relevant to each course that are present in the curriculum, for example, the course informatics for nursing professional relates to the strategies for the prevention of medication errors. The nurses can utilize informatics tools such as electronic health records and other tools to prevent medication errors. The course of health issues of marginalized populations relates to the concept and demographics of medication errors. It elaborates on how people suffer due to these errors and how the population can get affected resulting in health inequities as well.
The topic of adopting evidence-based practices relates to the course of science of evidence-based practice that will guide students to adopt the best credible practices in the nursing profession to improve patient safety. The topic of prevention of medication errors and observing outcomes will relate to the role of nurses as leaders and managers. The nurse leader can train and guide the nurses to reduce medication errors and boost their confidence to do their job with enthusiasm. Thus, all the topics included in the course are related to other courses of the curriculum, and students will be able to better understand the ideology of the course.
Collaboration of Faculty Members
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Effective collaboration in developing a new course in the curriculum will result in the production of high-quality content. The faculty members will adopt a multidisciplinary approach of collaboration for a new course added to the curriculum. An interdisciplinary committee will be developed for course development. This committee will comprise healthcare nurses, educators, informaticians, and finance administration. The faculty members will collaborate with healthcare professionals and nurse leaders to gain extensive details about the background of medication errors and how they prevent these errors. They will also collaborate with informaticians which will guide the faculty members about technological interventions for the reduction of medication errors. The finance administration will provide adequate resources for the development of high-quality curricula.
The rationale for the Collaboration
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The interdisciplinary collaboration will result in the critical review, recommendations as well as development of an effective curriculum for nursing students. These collaborative efforts will develop a dynamic course content that will address the needs of every kind of learner. The administration will provide flexibility in the curriculum by allocation of resources and support. The informaticians will provide advanced strategies to overcome medication issues in the content of the course, and the nurse leader and staff collaboration will provide knowledge about the management of these errors. Thus, this collaborative approach will be able to develop a cost-effective course for nursing students (Huizinga et al., 2019).
Effect of Internal Factors on Curriculum Design
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Internal factors are those factors that affect the design of the curriculum within the parent academic institute. A number of factors are affecting the design and development of curriculum.These factors include the structure of the institute, its mission, objectives, philosophies, financial situation, and the resources present in the academic institute such as labs, library, student services, and technological support. All the academic and nursing institutes have a structure of hierarchy which can affect the curriculum design. The faculty should analyze the structure of the institute and then design the curriculum according to the nature of the organizational structure. The philosophy and objectives of the institute determine the characteristics of the curriculum developed for students (Themes, 2017).
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The mission of higher institutes is education, research, and services. For example, the state-level university will adopt these three philosophies in curriculum development for providing services, education, and research opportunities at the state level. The economic state of the institute affects the curriculum design and determines its level of expansion and implication. The academic institutes seek financial aid, grants, and scholarships from government and private forums which ensure the viability of curriculum development. The institutional resources are equally important for curriculum development. For example, labs, libraries, computers and technologies, and resources for remote learning. These resources can make curriculum development successful. Support from institutes such as advertisements, learning resources, and technological services can develop high-quality curricula. The support of students also affects curriculum development and design. They affect the expansion and bring changes in the curriculum. Their response based on the number of enrollments, counseling, and placement of jobs determines the success of the curriculum (Themes, 2017).
The effect of the curriculum committee and review bodies are important for designing a curriculum. The approval protocol varies from institute to institute, however they aim at the evaluation and approval of the curriculum. For example, the institutes at a small scale have a less complex approach and review process of curriculum designing. They simply develop a panel that is comprised of two to three members and evaluate the curriculum. While the state-level institutes have a complex process and have different approval chambers within the institute. There is a senate of academic institutes which develops guidelines and policies for curriculum designing and recommends changes in curriculum according to instructions from the federal board. They have the authority to reject the curriculum if it does not meet the required criteria. The administration committee is also established to renew the curriculum. Whether the institute is present at the community or state level, the approval bodies affect the curriculum design and development (The Curriculum Committee, 2022).
Effect of External Factors on Curriculum Design
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
External factors are those factors that affect curriculum development based on its environment and outside the frame of an academic institute. The external factors include financial stakeholders, community and demographics, political framework, accreditation bodies, the healthcare needs of people, the need for the course, and academic settings. The demographics of the population affect the curriculum design such as age, gender, socio-economic status, education level, etc. This information identifies the characteristics of learners and the curriculum is designed based on these characteristics and requirements. The Census Bureau of the US has provided demographic statistics which help in designing an effective curriculum. Identification of features of academic settings allows the institutes to compare their characteristics with others such as the course cost, admission rate and retention ratio, rate of employment, and reputation. This comparison allows the institutes to develop the most successful design of the courses that higher education level institutes also developed (Themes, 2017a).
The political bodies also influence curriculum design and development. For example, if the political party head has worked in the healthcare profession earlier then he will realize the importance of curriculum development and will support the curriculum that can contribute to the healthcare of people. The healthcare needs of the population also influence curriculum design. The curriculum is developed based on the gaps that are identified in healthcare and the needs of the population in healthcare (Nevenglosky et al., 2019). The need for the program or rationale also determines the design of the curriculum. The faculty will assess the need for the course based on the number of students selecting the course and the need for the nurses in an organization and then will develop the curriculum.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The accreditation bodies have a significant impact and have the role of approval of curriculum. There are two main accreditation bodies for curriculum development in nursing which include Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (Pullen, 2022). ACEN approves curricula relevant to the master, doctorate, baccalaureate, diploma, and practical study programs for nursing. While CCNE approves the higher degrees curriculum and baccalaureate programs. American Associate College of Nursing (AACN) has also provided guidelines and standards for nursing programs. All these accreditation bodies need to approve a particular curriculum development (Poortaghi et al., 2020).
The finance stakeholders have an important role in designing nursing education curricula. The financial administration allocates special resources for course design and implementation. The faculty should assess the economic status of the institute and then design the curriculum based on economic stability. If advanced concepts are being introduced in the curriculum and enough resources are present then it will strengthen the design and development of the curriculum. To sum up, external factors determine the possibility of the development and implementation of a curriculum for nursing students (Mississippi College, 2020).
Mission, Philosophy, and Framework of a Program
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The mission, philosophy as well as framework of the parent institution determines the characteristics of nursing programs and ultimately the curriculum development. For example, higher education level institutes develop curricula based on the mission and philosophies of providing education, extensive research opportunities, and serving the state. Such institutes aim the development of such curricula which enable nursing students to be skilled researchers and get scholarship opportunities to excel in nursing and develop the spirit of serving the people of the state (Button, 2021). Whereas private institutes have different approaches which elaborate their sectarian framework. Their mission is to enable individuals to adhere to the liberal act foundation for services to the public or the capacity of help. The nursing programs generally coincide with such type of mission. Community colleges develop curricula based on technical education. The faculty considers the mission and structure of the institute during the development of the curriculum and will develop the curriculum which can guide and help students in their professional and social life (McCoy, 2021).
Collaboration Conducted Between External and Internal Stakeholders
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Multiple collaborations are needed for the successful development of the curriculum. For example, internal stakeholders such as faculty members, the approval committee of the parent institute, and student collaboration will occur. This collaboration will be made for assessing the feasibility of curriculum design and successfully implementing it. The educators will collaborate with students to determine their curriculum needs and will design curricula based on those needs (Nasrabadi et al., 2021). Collaboration with the organization committee will also be made to get approval at the institute level. After this approval, then collaboration from external stakeholders is made. The internal stakeholders interact with accreditation bodies to get approval at the board and state levels. Collaboration with financial organizations is also made to get grants and aid for curriculum implementation. If the curriculum meets all the standards of approval authorities, then it is developed after getting sufficient resources from institutes and foundations. Effective cooperation and support are the keys to designing and developing a curriculum (Connolly et al., 2020).
Conclusion
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
The addition and designing of a course in a curriculum is a critical process in nursing education. The courses should be designed in a way that they are interrelated to each other and develop the best understanding of healthcare practices and patient care in nurses. The addition of a course on the prevention of medication errors will help nursing students to be professional healthcare workers and enhance patient safety. The curriculum development is affected by internal as well as external factors of the institute. However, the effective collaboration of internal and external stakeholders results in the designing and development of the best curriculum that helps nursing students in practical settings.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
References
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NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
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