Nursing Curriculum Tacoma WA

Nursing Curriculum

by Linda K. Amos, Ed.D., RN, FAAN, Former A ssociate Vice President for Health Sciences, Professor of  Nursing,  University  of  Utah 

A standard basic or generic baccalaureate program in nursing is a four-year college or university education that incorporates a variety of liberal arts courses with professional education and training. It is designed for high school graduates with no previous nursing experience.

Currently, there are more than 700 baccalaureate programs in the United States. Of the 583 programs that responded to a fall 2005 survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, total enrollment in all nursing programs leading to a baccalaureate degree was 163,706. A report from the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education recommends that at least two-thirds of the nursing workforce holds a baccalaureate degree or higher by 2010, compared to the current 40 percent.

The baccalaureate curriculum is designed to prepare students for work in the growing and changing health-care environment. As nurses take a more active role in all facets of health care, they are expected to develop critical thinking and communication skills in addition to receiving standard nurse training in clinics and hospitals. In a university or college setting, the first two years include classes in the humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, business, psychology, technology, sociology, ethics, and nutrition.

In some programs, ...

Author: Amy Ambler

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