Every nursing program's curriculum provides the foundation for nursing education. Each curriculum establishes a framework by which students systematically learn content and layer nursing skills and reasoning skills applicable to clinical scenarios. A challenge for administrators, faculty, and students alike, however, is that there is no one universal approach to designing curriculum. Educational programs differ in their content progression, as well as in the classes required for students to complete them successfully.
Many potential nursing students question how every candidate can take and successfully pass the same licensure examination despite each student attending educational programs with different approaches to curricula, alternating styles, and varied durations. This is one reason the nursing licensure examination (NCLEX) is so important. The NCLEX tests students on core information applied to nursing situations, to ensure that each graduate who passes the examination and receives a nursing license, regardless of where he or she studied nursing, is a competent entry-level practitioner. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) conducts a practice analysis every three years to establish this core content (targeted specifically for registered nursing [RN] or practical/vocational nursing [PN] programs), which in turn influences the structure and content of the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN, respectively. The current NCLEX-RN test plan is in effect until March 31, 2019, and the current NCLEX-PN test plan is in effect until March 31, 2020. Differences between these test plans are related to scope of practice. It is highly recommended that faculty and students alike access the NCSBN Website (www.ncsbn.org) to become familiar with the specific NCLEX test plans and to stay abreast of news and updates about NCLEX.
As many nursing administrators would attest, a nursing program's NCLEX pass rate carries great significance. A pass rate at or above state and national averages can be influential when prospective students compare the characteristics and advantages of one program over another. Whenever a program's pass rate drops or a program is placed on probationary status for any reason, the program's administration and faculty must scrutinize its curricular structure and content. Once that step is completed, they also must review content delivery strategies and student clinical opportunities. The information presented here focuses on the core content of a nursing program and how it is aligned (or not) with the NCLEX test plan. The content will be obtained from the definition of the Client Needs category, nursing Activity Statements, and detailed content examples as identified on the NCLEX test plan.
The NCLEX test plan is systematically organized under four broad categories, some of which are also broken into smaller subcategories (Client Needs), and then into the smallest and most detailed level, which are called Activity Statements. Sometimes, students wish the broader NCLEX Client Needs were more specific. Educators, however, can take the various topics, place them in the curriculum, and expand on them throughout the program. Some topics (e.g., therapeutic communication, alteration in body systems, pharmacology) must be addressed as threads throughout the curriculum, because students apply the related content in a variety of clinical situations.
One way for a nursing program to ensure that each content area is covered in the curriculum is to assign topic areas to faculty and have the faculty document in which nursing course the topic is housed and how the topic is addressed. An example is below.
CONTENT CATEGORY: Safe and Effective Care Environment
SUBCATEGORY: Safety and Infection Control
“Protecting clients and health care personnel from health and environmental hazards”
