NR 524 Week 7 Curriculum Plan Presentation

Grace J.
August 29, 2025August 29, 2025
CU MSN, NR-524

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-524: Curriculum Development

Prof. Name

Date

Curriculum Plan Presentation

Introduction

The KSL Community College offers an on-campus Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in Reading, Pennsylvania. Admission to this program requires applicants to hold a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification. The ADN curriculum consists of 70 credits, divided into 30 credits of prerequisite/general education courses and 40 credits of nursing-specific coursework.

The structure of the program reflects the college’s commitment to designing an innovative and student-centered curriculum that supports professional growth and prepares graduates to deliver safe, evidence-based, and holistic nursing care. The overarching goal of this program is to ensure accessibility to high-quality education while nurturing students’ passion for patient-centered nursing practice.

This paper presents the curriculum plan for the KSL ADN program, highlights the role of accreditation in maintaining program quality, provides course descriptions, and discusses the importance of peer collaboration in shaping the curriculum plan.

Appropriate Accrediting Body

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) serves as the accrediting body for the KSL ADN program. ACEN is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), making it a trusted authority in evaluating nursing education programs (ACEN, 2013).

Accreditation by ACEN is voluntary but highly valuable, as it ensures that the program undergoes a rigorous peer-review process. This process promotes continuous quality improvement, supports faculty in curriculum development, and guarantees that the program aligns with academic and professional standards required in modern nursing.

By maintaining compliance with ACEN guidelines, KSL’s ADN curriculum assures students, employers, and the community that its graduates are competent, ethical, and prepared to provide holistic nursing care.

Course Descriptions

The KSL ADN program requires completion of 70 total credits. Students must complete all prerequisite/general education courses (30 credits) before advancing into the nursing sequence (40 credits). Some courses serve as prerequisites for others, ensuring progressive skill-building.

General Education and Prerequisite Courses (30 Credits)

Category	Course Code & Title	Credits	Notes
Communication	COM 121 – English Composition	3	Transferable
	COM 151 – Fundamentals of Speech	3	Transferable
	COM 280 – Informatics & Communication in Nursing	2	Nursing-specific focus
Mathematics	MAT 150 – Foundations of Mathematics	3	Transferable
Pharmacology	PHAR 100 – Pharmacology I	3	Nursing prerequisite
Science	BIO 250 – Anatomy & Physiology I	4	Transferable
	BIO 255 – Anatomy & Physiology II	4	Transferable
	BIO 280 – Microbiology	4	Transferable
Social Science	PSY 130 – General Psychology	3	Transferable
	SOC 130 – Sociology	3	Transferable
Humanities/Ethics	PHI 275 – Ethics	3	Supports ethical reasoning

Nursing Courses (40 Credits)

Course Code	Title	Credits	Description
NUR 100	Fundamentals & Theory of Nursing	6	Introduces foundational nursing concepts and Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring. Includes communication, assessment, and teaching skills with clinical exposure in long-term care, acute care, and community health.
NUR 120	Holistic and Multicultural Nursing Care	3	Focuses on delivering holistic and culturally competent care, exploring diverse cultural health beliefs, and applying appropriate assessment techniques.
NUR 150	Medical/Surgical Nursing	6	Expands on acute and chronic health issues. Emphasizes use of critical thinking and clinical judgment while caring for adults and adolescents.
NUR 200	Maternal Child Health Nursing	7	Examines childbearing families, pediatric care, and acute alterations in health. Promotes therapeutic communication and developmentally appropriate interventions.
NUR 250	Advanced Medical/Surgical/Trauma Nursing	7	Builds on prior coursework, focusing on rapidly changing patient conditions, trauma, and ethical considerations in practice. Clinical experiences emphasize multi-client care.
NUR 299	NCLEX Review	2	Provides test-taking strategies, practice exams, and preparation to ensure readiness for licensure.

Peer Collaboration

Developing a curriculum plan for an ADN program required substantial peer collaboration and professional feedback. The process involved reviewing curriculum designs from various nursing schools, engaging in discussions with peers, and receiving constructive critique on course sequencing and content balance.

Peers contributed by sharing alternative strategies for structuring the program to reduce student overload while still meeting accreditation and licensure requirements. Online resources and curriculum models from other colleges were also consulted. Through this iterative process, revisions were made frequently, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of curriculum development.

Ultimately, collaboration helped refine the ADN curriculum into a comprehensive and balanced program, ensuring that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation needed for nursing practice.

References

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). (2013). Accreditation manual. Retrieved from http://www.acenursing.org

Lachman, V. D. (2012). Applying the ethics of care to your nursing practice. MedSurg Nursing, 21(2), 112–115. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Resources/Applying-the-Ethics-of-Care-to-Your-Nursing-Practice.pdf

National League for Nursing (NLN) – Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA). (2016). Accreditation standards for nursing education programs. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/accreditation-services/cnea-standards-final-february2016.pdf