A Curriculum Development Issue - Research Paper Example

? A Curriculum Development Issue A Curriculum Development Issue Nursing profession have encountered abundant challenges which includes raise in number of hospitalized patients, emergence of new and acute illness, high operation and treatment cost, and the need for nurses to stay updated with the rapid advancement in technology and knowledge. These challenges are sophisticated by scarcity of nurses in hospitals as well as strict health policy in their training curriculum. The nursing profession must therefore shift with changes in the healthcare sector knowledge and technological advancement to ensure they offer the best services to their customers. To adopt the current changes, new nurses require to be trained with relevant and knowledge, skills, thoughts and proficiency. The paper will address the contribution of the excising health policy in the curriculum development. It will expound on the challenges posed by the existing policy in the advancement of the curriculum, the benefits of the policy as well as the remedies appropriate in addressing the problem posed by the existing policies. According to Fasoli (2006) health policy is one of the issues that are deterring the curriculum advancement in the nursing sector. Changing of health policy to line with the modern changes is very complicated and takes a substantial amount of time. The policy has to follow certain steps before it is amended. The health policy defines the purpose and role of nurse in the health sector. It also expounds on the qualification requirement of health professionals in the health sector. One section of the health policy that influences the development of the health curriculum is the nursing: A social policy statement which was established in 1980 and amended in 1995. The statement explains the meaning of nursing, diagnosis requirement of a nurse and the main purpose of nursing activities. It clearly explains the requirement of a competent nurse in the health sector. It talks about the basic knowledge which is required of a qualified nurse. The statement specifies the main components required in the definition of nursing role and competent in the health sector. As observed by Fasoli (2006), nurses’ schools and faculties are supposed to comply fully with the Nursing: A social policy statement. The policy does not give room for immediate advancement of the training methodology. The strictness of the policy statement limits the advancement of the nursing curriculum. The curriculum is delimited by the policy to act immediately to the emerging technological and health changes. On the other hand, the policy restricts the nursing training schools from advancing the circular without the approval of the concerned health body. Health schools are expected to train what is speculated in the policy. Health policy on the other hand, is very useful in the nursing profession and most specifically in the training process. It clarifies the requirement for a credible nurse. It provides a guideline of what should be taught in the healthcare school. Its strictness is very essential in maintaining the quality of nurse activities in the health sector. Nursing school are limited the power of including irrelevant contents in their curriculum. Any additional in the curriculum must be approved by the entire health sector. Nurses have the capability of working everywhere in the world due to the universality of the health policy. The policy has also helped nurses in specifying their position in the health sector. The role of the nurse in health sector is clearly explained in the policy. This reduces role confusion in health sector. Curriculum Development Strategies Development of nursing curriculum as a process has neither beginning nor an end. Once it has been developed, the curriculum undergoes modifications and refinements as it becomes evaluated and implemented. This modifications and refinements are performed because a nursing curriculum that is perfect cannot be finalized and achieved when the context within which the curriculum is being designed and implemented is constantly changing. In addition to that, nursing as a faculty always strives to remain within that context (Iwasiw et al., 2009). For purposes of addressing Health policy issues that are impacting on curriculum development, the following strategies should be implemented Nursing as a faculty should implement learning strategies. The learning strategies should entail service and experimental learning. Through service learning, students are able to participate in multiple activities that provide them with the necessary assistance they need. In that case, service learning should be conceived as an education holistic model which emphasizes on active learning of students through provision of required community service. These act as ingredient of promoting student social responsibility (Billings & Halstead, 2009). Planning and implementing faculty development: Development of faculty is the key process to curriculum development. However, curriculum development should not be viewed as a faculty endeavour. In that case, various groups should come together and develop a viable curriculum. For instance a team of health professionals and faculty members should work together so that they may develop a curriculum that addresses all the issues faced by students in their professional fields. As such, planned assistance helps the team to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that necessitates the students to engage in their work. Data gathering about external and internal contextual factors should be done: Systematic gathering of data about the context within which the implementation of the curriculum will be done and in which nursing as a practice will be performed by graduates is essential to ensure that the developed curriculum is context relevant. Factors such as situations, forces and circumstances that occur both outside and within the institution of education which have the ability of influencing the institution and its curriculum should be determined. Typically, the obtained information addresses issues such as program and policies, financial resources, history among others. Curriculum nucleus should be determined: The curriculum nucleus constitutes of the principal curriculum concepts, key teaching-learning approaches, principal professional abilities and philosophical approaches. The curriculum nuclei is significant in influencing the development of curriculum Encouraging of students to enrol in fluid fellowship program: This program helps in the blending of leadership training and academics while providing health care to the disenfranchised and poor patients. The patients are those residing in the inner city and rural-migrant workers. This program helps students to experiment what they have learned in class in solving real world programs. Feedback loops provision: These loops helps in evaluating the dynamic of the curriculum and if necessary changes should be made to address issues encountered in the field. As such, opinions and information about the appropriateness and effectiveness of the curriculum is gathered. References Billings, D.M., & Halstead, J.A.(2009). Caring for the vulnerable: Perspectives in nursing theory, practice and research. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Fasoli, D. R. (2006). In context: Exploring the influence of nursing professional practice on organizational quality. Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 294 p. http://search.proquest.com/docview/304939282?accountid=45049 Iwasiw, C. L., Goldenberg, D., & Andrusyszyn, M.-A. (2009). Curriculum development in nursing education. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Read More