Focusing on The Essentials
In April 2021 , member schools affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing ( AACN ) voted to endorse a position paper , The Essentials : Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education ( AACN , 2021 ), which calls for redesigning how nurses are educated using a competency-based approach . Widely adopted by schools nationwide , AACN ’ s The Essentials outlines the necessary curriculum and expected competencies of graduates from baccalaureate , master ’ s , and Doctor of Nursing practice programs .
Moving to implement The Essentials presents a unique opportunity for schools of nursing to infuse innovation into their program content to better prepare new nurses to meet contemporary practice expectations . For example , nursing schools implementing The Essentials must ensure that the curriculum prepares baccalaureate and masters-level nurses with specific competencies in a variety of focus areas , including leadership development , professionalism , emotional intelligence , and developing wellness and resilience for self and others .
Within the competency areas outlined in The Essentials , 10 Domains address preparation related to personal , professional , and leadership development , which includes activities and self-reflection that foster personal health , resilience , and well-being , as well as the acquisition of nursing expertise . Specific competency expectations include : n Demonstrate healthy , self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resiliency .
n Contribute to an environment that promotes self-care , personal health , and well-being .
n Evaluate the workplace environment to determine the level of health and well-being .
n Engage in guided and spontaneous reflection of one ’ s practice .
n Demonstrate leadership skills in times of uncertainty and crisis .
Competency-Based Approach
To assist schools with operationalizing this new emphasis area , the AACN launched a two-year project in March 2022 titled A Competency-Based Approach to Leadership Development and Resilience for Student Nurses . With support from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation , the AACN convened an expert advisory group to identify resources , learning strategies , and assessment measures aimed at preparing the next generation of nurses with strong skills in the areas of well-being , self-care , resilience , and leadership .
“ Today ’ s nurse must be equipped to address the challenges faced by all healthcare providers , which includes developing the expertise needed to safeguard mental health and well-being within themselves and in others ,” said Deborah Trautman , PhD , RN , FAAN , President and Chief Executive Officer of AACN . “ The nation ’ s nursing school deans and faculty applaud Johnson & Johnson for supporting academic nursing ’ s effort to enhance the practice readiness of newly graduated nurses , which is a critical factor in decreasing burnout and increasing workforce retention .”
To advance this initiative , the AACN identified nursing schools with a practice partner to pilot test the content and assess the impact on student competency . The eight schools selected to participate included Adelphi University ( NY ), California State University-Chico , Fayetteville State University ( NC ), Georgia State University , Mount Carmel College of Nursing ( OH ), Nevada State University , Rutgers University – Camden ( NJ ), Samuel Merritt University ( CA ), University of Minnesota , and University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio . The new learning strategies were introduced during the Spring 2023 semester , and all assessment activities were completed by the end of the year .
With the project completed , all teaching approaches and lessons learned have been incorporated into a dedicated website and faculty tool kit , which was launched in March 2024 and housed on the AACN website . Titled Developing Nurse Well-Being and Leadership ( AACN , 2024 ), this information-rich resource contains strategies for strengthening entry-level nurse competencies in the area of personal , professional , and leadership development , as aligned with AACN ’ s The Essentials .
The online tool kit features definitions , key learning resources , integrative learning strategies , case scenarios , dozens of learning strategies , recommended assess-
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