NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 3 Curriculum Theory, Frameworks, and Models

Student Name

Capella University

NURS FPX 6108

Professor Name

Submission Date

Curriculum Theory, Frameworks, and Models

The evaluation examines the theory, frameworks, and models of curriculum foundations of the MSN Nursing Education Track at Valley Health Center. Continuing on the assessment made above, when the structure and rationale of the curriculum were outlined, the paper is dedicated to the definition of the organizing design and theoretical foundation on the basis of which the curriculum is developed, and the instructional tactics are delivered. These areas are important in order to establish how the program trains nurse educators in order to meet the professional-level standards and address the needs of evolving healthcare education.

Describing A Selected Health Care Curriculum

The curriculum that will be used in this assessment is the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nursing Education Track at the Valley Health Center. This program will provide nurse educators in institutions of higher learning and also clinical practice through equipping BSN-prepared registered nurses. It offers a hybrid learning model, that is, combining the online coursework and face-to-face practicum experience, and is flexible for working nurses.

The program will consist of three basic blocks, including Core MSN courses, the nursing education specialization courses, such as primary palliative nursing education, and a capstone project (Dahlin et al., 2023). The curriculum is dedicated to providing the students with the knowledge necessary in the theory of nursing, research, leadership, planning, curriculum, and instructional methods. It is designed to present a solution to the increased competence of qualified nurse educators due to the shortage of nursing faculty and the increasing demand for nursing professionals.

The program aims at evidence-based practice in teaching, leadership, and mentorship, which is, by coincidence, one of the targets of the Valley Health Center, which intends to contribute to community health by teaching. It also incorporates the principle of diversity, equity, and inclusion in learning to an outstanding degree, which prepares future nurse educators to collaborate effectively with diverse groups of students, as well as offer lifelong learning opportunities (Mlambo et al., 2021). The manner in which learning outcomes are developed is designed to equip the learners with skills on how to transmit the skills to the prospective nurses, thereby offering quality healthcare and enhancing health education.

Identifying the Fundamental Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework or Model

The basic organization structure of the MSN Nursing Education Track in Valley Health Centre is a competency-based and concept-based organization that builds on the Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy) established by Knowles, as well as the Nurse Educator Core Competencies of the National League of Nursing (NLN). The combination is established because it is linked to the purpose of the program on training and transforming the experienced registered nurses into efficient educators of different academic and drug segments. The competency-based design also provides the learner with sufficient skills in teaching and leading because learners must progress through clearly defined learning outcomes.

The findings may be connected to the national standards, such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master’s and NLN, that concur with the provisions in the industry (Antonelli et al., 2024). This is facilitated courtesy of a concept-based approach, which allows the learners to generate profound knowledge in terms of underlying concepts, say, curriculum design, learner assessment, and evidence-based teaching, as compared to memorization of irrelevant facts. At the same time, concept-based design encourages greater insights into major concepts, including evidence-based practice, cultural competence, and leadership, so that students can use these concepts in a flexible manner across diverse teaching and clinical practices.

The Adult Learning Theory, created by Knowles, can be used to support the curriculum because the scholar realized that adult learners already have previous experience, prefer a self-directed learning process, and need to acquire something they can apply in the future (Pappas, 2025). The learning model of the program that includes these values consists of the hybrid character of the program and the real-world practicum experience, and the integration of technology and simulation.

Overall, the organizing design and theoretical model lead to a less instructor-centered educational and standards-driven curriculum, which is quite useful in preparing nurse educators to meet the new educational and healthcare challenges. Through the Adult Learning Theory, the program will enable the creation of independent, confident educators, able to establish a significant learning experience and foster lifelong learning in the nursing workforce.

History and Major Concepts of Benner’s Novice to Expert Model

The structure of the MSN Nursing Education Track of Valley Health Center is a combination of concept-based and competency-based education, supported by the Adult Learning Theory by Knowles (Andragogy). The use of competency-based education in nursing and health professions education has increased since the 1960s and 1970s to ensure that learners can demonstrate a mastery of definite, measurable competencies as required in the field of professional practice (Lewis et al., 2022).

The idea of concept-based learning was arrived at following the problem of content overload in the conventional education framework that centers on the instruction of ideas that are generalized in different contexts, such as clinical reasoning, the teaching strategy, and curriculum design (Lewis et al., 2022). The adult learning theory was postulated by Knowles in the 1970s, and it had taken note of the self-directed learning, problem solving, and the utility of past acquired experiences by the learner. Such historical processes are quite basic in contemporary nursing education, not to mention the cases where individuals are adult, responsible, and good personnel who are ready to derive good, practical field experiences.

Relevant Examples in the Context of the MSN Nursing Education Curriculum

Universal standards, such as the NLN Nurse Educator Core Competencies and the AACN Essentials, are used in the Valley Health Center MSN program to implement competency-based learning by matching the course outcomes with national standards. To illustrate, during the practicum, the students will be required to demonstrate their proficiency in the planning, execution, and assessment of nursing curricula (Beiranvand et al., 2022).

This is done by the concept-based design, in which the modules focus on general themes (e.g., instructional design and evidence-based teaching), but not on specific facts. Knowles principles of adult learning could be traced in the hybrid nature of program delivery, as working nurses can receive an opportunity to mix theory and practice by doing some flexible and real-life tasks (Pappas, 2025). The examples demonstrate that historical contexts of these systems render the curriculum much more relevant, address learners, and make it learner-focused.

Demonstration of Organizing Design and Theoretical Framework in the Curriculum

Throughout the structure, delivery, and learning outcomes, the MSN Nursing Education Track at Valley Health Center evidently exhibits a competency-based, concept-based design founded on the Adult Learning Theory proposed by Knowles. The structure of each course points to the competency-based approach and complies with the national competencies of nurse educators to ensure that students not only get acquainted with theoretical data but also can implement them in clinical and academic practice (Imanipour et al., 2021).

The concept-based approach is seen in the curriculum that is concerned with the general notion of transfer of knowledge and learning, and includes curriculum design, learner involvement, and assessment methods that are all stocked throughout the courses. The Knowles concept of knowledge can be seen in the theory of adult-based learning, through which there is learner-centered learning, real-life application, and learning practicum through self-directed learning. The adult needs in terms of adult learnership, i.e., the autonomy and the relevance addressed in terms of education, are the use of the hybrid format, flexibility in scheduling, and reflection-based learning.

Specific Examples from the Nursing Curriculum

The capstone project is one such competency-based innovation, in which students need to create and present a teaching module to show their ability to plan the curriculum, deliver instructions, and assess students. The experience is associated with the NLN competencies and AACN essentials since, in the classroom, there is a theory, but it will be accompanied by the required skills of an educator (Dugan and Altmiller, 2023). Under the concept-based learning, coursework Instructional Strategies in Nursing Education will not include specific courses but the general patterning concepts of teaching (active learning, etc), and that fact is what enables the students to adapt their teaching to the various clinical and classroom environments.

The individual-centered learning objectives, which are reflected in the practices of the practicum, conform to the theory of Knowles, which involves focusing on the individual to build on the existing knowledge of the students in the clinical field, and customizing the educator training to the specific careers. These examples have shown that theory and design did play a great role in determining the success of a learner.

Conclusion

The MSN Nursing Education Track at Valley Health Center is founded on a competency-based, concept-based curriculum designed with the help of the Adult Learning Theory of Knowles. These structures will provide an excellent foundation upon which competent, thoughtful, and adaptable nurse educators will be developed. The collaboration with the national standards and the introduction of evidence-based learning practice will facilitate the fact that the program will produce highly qualified graduates who will be adequately ready to address the multidimensional needs of nursing education. Theory conceptualization in the curriculum design enhances the suitability, efficiency, and effectiveness of the program in the academic and clinical domains.

For the next (4th) assessment of this class visit: NURS FPX 6108 Assessment 4