Rounds with Leadership: Taking the Pulse on Essentials Implementation

When AACN member schools voted to endorse the Essentials in April 2021, academic nursing made the bold decision to transform how we prepare nurses for professional practice. This turning point in nursing education set in motion a wave of curricular innovation as faculty moved to actualize a new approach and framework for educating both entry-level and advanced-level nurses.

As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Essentials vote, AACN recently conducted a member survey to assess how implementation efforts are proceeding and how findings compare to similar data collected in 2022. Last fall, deans from 391 schools completed the survey (44% response rate), representing a broad range of institutional types (large and small, public and private, rural and urban, etc.) from every region of the U.S. The previous survey from Fall 2022 was completed by 328 deans (38% response rate). 

AACN’s latest survey found that 99% of responding schools support the implementation of the 2021 Essentials, and 95% of university/college leadership support the transition to competency-based education (CBE). Most AACN member schools strongly endorse the Essentials with 92% of faculty committed to transitioning to CBE. Click here for a summary of the findings.

The survey also found that:

• 92% of schools are adapting or planning to adapt their curriculum to align with the Essentials
• 91% of schools will use all or some of the sub-competencies when designing curriculum
• 58% of schools are developing or planning to develop progression indicators to assess student learning
• 79% of schools are designing or planning to design competency-based assessments and experiential learning opportunities
• 3% of schools are not planning to implement CBE

Looking closer by program level, 84% of schools have started or completed curricular mapping for Level 1 (entry-level) programs, up from 73% in 2022. For Level 2 or advanced-level programs, 63% of schools have started or completed curricular mapping, a slight increase from 62% in 2022.

In terms of practice partner engagement, the survey found 50% of schools are now working with their clinical counterparts to transition to CBE, up from 47% in 2022. Additionally, 55% of practice partners have participated in discussions with faculty on curriculum revisions and alignment of the curriculum with the Essentials.

When considering faculty readiness to prepare students to meet the latest competency standards, survey respondents reported that the majority of faculty (75%) possess knowledge to implement CBE at the program level, an increase from 55% in 2022. Further, 74% of schools reported their faculty attended an AACN regional workshop focused on Essentials implementation and CBE.

AACN recognizes that evolving nursing education comes with challenges, and we were intentional about identifying obstacles to progress. Schools reported that the top barriers to implementing the Essentials were lack of faculty time (83%), gaps in faculty knowledge (61%), and insufficient budgetary support (40%). To help clear these hurdles, AACN has created a number of resources to facilitate Essentials implementation efforts, including a teaching resource database, curriculum mapping tools, on-demand conference sessions, faculty development workshops, and Implementation Spotlights from member schools. According to the survey, the most helpful resources offered by AACN to help implement the Essentials are the online tool kit (93%); webinars (92%); guides (82%) and Frequently Asked Questions (81%).

In addition to these resources, AACN just published a new quick start guide for schools at the beginning stages of Essentials implementation. This online resource includes a Getting Started video that outlines the suggested steps a school can take adapt their programs to meet today’s standards, as well as a guide that identifies resources available to schools. Click here to view the Getting Started with the Essentials guide.