Throughputs
Mapping Nurse Residency Curriculums to CCNE Standards Enhances Resource Efficiency
July 20, 2023 — Melanie Rainford, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
In 2018, the experience-complexity gap was already projected to disrupt the nursing workforce (Advisory Board, Nursing Executive Center, 2019). This gap—wherein seasoned nurses retire, and inexperienced new-to-practice clinical nurses are tasked with caring for an aging population with complex comorbidities—was vastly exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing leaders are left justifiably concerned about the disillusionment of clinical nurses post-pandemic, especially given the notable increase in first-year turnover (Boston-Fleischhauer et al., 2023).
Dedicated resources and comprehensive programs to support new graduates in their first year of clinical nursing are essential and have been shown to build confidence and enhance clinical expertise. These resources and programs frequently decrease nursing turnover rates (Advisory Board, Nursing Executive Center, 2019). Registered nurse residency (RNR) program coordinators are eager to ensure the RNR programs they support are truly designed to bridge the gap between a student nurse’s academia lessons and their entry into clinical practice.
In Alabama, program coordinators for a post-baccalaureate registered nurse residency (PB-RNR) program sought to evaluate and refine their PB-RNR curriculum by cross-mapping it with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Entry-to-Practice Standards (Layton, Moore, & Miltner, 2023). Their methodical process was successful in revealing programmatic gaps and redundancies. The program coordinators used insights learned from the study to reallocate resources and enhance efficiency. Read more about their methodology and outcomes here.
Did you know? The Journal for Nurses in Professional Development (JNPD) is the official publication of the Association for Nursing Professional Development. Online access to JNPD is a member benefit of the Association for Nursing Professional Development. Since 1985, JNPD has been the specialized source of information for NPD practitioners in all health care settings. Be sure to follow the journal’s LinkedIn page for real-time updates!
References
Advisory Board, Nursing Executive Center. (2019). The experience–complexity gap. Washington, DC: Nursing Executive Center. Retrieved from: https://www.advisory.com/topics/nursing-care-quality-and-service/2019/06/the-experience-complexity-gap
Boston-Fleischhauer, C., Beckmann, S., Bierhoff, J., Malott Jr., D. (2023). Recommendations for stabilizing the RN workforce. Washington, DC. Advisory Board.
Layton, S. S., Moore, R., Miltner, R. S. (2023). Curriculum mapping post-baccalaureate registered nurse residency curriculum to accrediting agency standards (K. A. Gallagher, Ed.). Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 39(4), 230-233. doi: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000999
.png)
Melanie Rainford, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Education Program Specialist and Nurse Planner
Melanie Rainford is a board-certified nurse leader, with over 16 years of clinical nursing and professional development experience, specializing in the design, implementation, and evaluation of professional development initiatives, projects, and programs.
In 2017, Melanie received the ANPD Change Agent Award for her strength in project management and improvement processes, and in 2018 she graduated from the ANPD Leadership Academy. Melanie is a contributing author for the NPD Scope & Standards of Practice, 4th Ed. and chapter editor Change Agent for the Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development, 6th Ed. She currently serves on the editorial board for the JNPD, the official publication of the ANPD.
In her current role as an education program specialist at the American Nurses Association Enterprise, Melanie manages and implements educational content for conferences and symposiums through project management, influence, data analysis, and internal consultation; additionally, in this role, Melanie creates educational content using instructional design, educational technology (edtech), design learning, and innovation.