The University of Mississippi's Path to Competency-Based Education

Speaker: Marion Patti, DNP, RN, Assistant Professor, The University of Southern Mississippi

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: In the School of Professional Nursing Practice at the University of Southern Mississippi, we began working on a new curriculum design using AACN's core competencies. We started by creating a spreadsheet identifying the presence of core competencies and subcompetencies that were present in our BSN courses. Over the last two years, we first identified gaps within our curriculum. Then, we began by plugging AACN's Essentials into our holes within our courses. Lastly, our curriculum committee ensured that each competency was covered at least three times throughout the curriculum. This fall, we will begin transitioning our RN to BSN and ADN programs to competency-based education.

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: Early on in the process of transitioning to competency-based education, we realized that we did not fully grasp the competencies nor how to incorporate them or measure them. Also, implementing proposed plans has been challenging due to our scheduling conflicts and the preparation needed to institute new activities, assignments, and simulations. On the other hand, we tried to focus on either changing rubrics or small elements of existing assignments to lessen the burden of a complete overhaul of our entire curriculum. Regular meetings with our team continue to allow for discussion of how we best ensure the students meet the competencies in a meaningful way while maintaining a balanced workload for our instructors. Overall, we feel that this move to competency-based education will assist us with implementing innovative high-impact practices that will prepare our students for quality, safe patient care through a more realistic hands-on experience.

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: Along with population health, we chose domain two: person-centered care. We picked this domain for a variety of reasons. Our students are experienced in caring for diverse populations in various settings. Patient-centered care works in tandem with the population health domain. Additionally, domain two aligns well with our practice partner, Edward Street Fellowship Health Clinic. This free clinic is the only clinic in our area that meets the holistic needs of our diverse medically underserved community. Since person-centered care requires nurses to seek to know individualized lived experiences, we adjusted our curriculum to ensure our students respect all persons. Sadly, some diverse patients are not empowered by those caring for them. So we felt that we must equip our future nurses to treat every patient with dignity. We are transitioning our curriculum to competency-based education with a major significance on emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: Our practice partners participate on our school's advisory committee to ensure we graduate nurses our practice partners want working in their facilities during these meetings, we've walked our practice partners through the new Essentials and the competencies. Additionally, we shared with our practice partners a AACN's helpful document "What Practice Partners Need to Know about the AACN Essentials." We have begun informal discussions on our practice partners expectations of competency-based graduates. Our practice partners will participate in focus groups this academic year to disclose the desired characteristics, skills, and attitudes they want to see in a competent novice nurse.

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: The move to competency-based education can significantly enhance the preparation of practice-ready nurses by focusing on the acquisition and mastery of specific skills, knowledge, and attributes that are directly applicable to real world clinical settings. The move ensures that nursing students are not only knowledgeable, but also skilled, adaptable, and confident in their ability to provide patient-centered care. Competency-based education aligns closely with the professional nursing standards and competencies, which ensures that nursing students meet the expectations of the profession and are well prepared to enter the workforce. Competency-based education will bridge the gap between education and practice. Producing nurses who are truly practice- ready and equipped to meet the challenging demands of the nursing profession.

Marion Patti, DNP, RN: The most exciting part of this endeavor is that we have been given an opportunity to be the change agents to improve the quality of nursing education. Thus, the future of nursing care. We are preparing nursing students to be competent, compassionate nurse leaders. Our improved curriculum will better equip our nurses to provide quality, respectful care to diverse populations. We share a common goal with our students to become self-aware of personal biases, Self-awareness enhances the quality of care, and allows nurses to focus on ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities.