Competency-Based Curriculum Development

Competency-based education ( CBE ) is becoming the new curriculum model in healthcare for several reasons: Need for greater practitioner accountability; Increased social expectations for quality care; and Need for educational systems that can readily adapt to change. This chapter delves into the specifics of revising or developing a nursing curriculum using a CBE model. Curriculum revision or development must consider many variables including the educational mission, the competencies identified as needed, the framework, and the constraints encountered in traditional educational systems. The chapter discusses the development of CBE curricula. It compares CBE to traditional curriculum models and helps the reader to identify leadership attributes needed to develop or revise curricula. A curriculum framework organizes content and competencies. Milestones are built in to ensure logical succession of competency achievement. Assessment and evaluation of competency achievement is completed along the way to ensure student success in reaching program outcomes.