Concepts

A conceptual based curriculum promotes students’ understanding and application of health/illness and professional nursing concepts in the provision of nursing care.

Health and illness concepts illustrate “patterns” observed in diseases/disorders regardless of etiology or population. Professional nursing concepts illustrate “patterns” expected of the nurse in professional practice. Participant attribute concepts illustrate “patterns” observed in the recipients of nursing care. Recognition of these patterns can then be translated to many different nursing situations. Exemplars of the concepts are selected for the curriculum based on state, national and global incidence and prevalence. Teaching the concepts and exemplars includes covering lifespan, health promotion continuum (primary, secondary, tertiary care), and nursing care in various environments (i.e. community, in-patient.)