How do nurse educators evaluate clinical judgment during technical skill performance? In this episode, we explore competency-based education (CBE) strategies used in the nursing skills lab, including fair evaluation across multiple faculty and how emerging tools like AI may support competency documentation.
Tune in and follow Nurse Educators Now on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts for more conversations that help you strengthen teaching, boost student outcomes, and stay current in nursing education.
Listen in as we discuss how social capital is an under-utilized strategy to promote nursing student success. Nurse educators play a vital role in selecting and preparing students who will succeed in nursing programs and beyond. Our guest, Dr. David Foley, shares insights from his dissertation and offers practical ways to support students from diverse backgrounds. You won’t want to miss this interesting episode about social capital in nursing education.
Tune in and follow Nurse Educators Now on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts for more conversations that help you strengthen teaching, boost student outcomes, and stay current in nursing education.
Becoming a Published Nurse: Writing Strategies That Work
Listen in as we discuss how nurses can overcome the barriers that often stand in the way of getting published. Cheryl Mee, from American Nurse Journal who offers actionable advice and encouragement to help nurses take the first steps toward becoming a published nurse- with realistic strategies that actually work.
Tune in and subscribe Nurse Educators Now on YouTube , Apple Podcasts, or Spotify for expert insights and actionable advice to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of nursing education.
In this episode, we talk with a forward-thinking healthcare administration faculty member who shares a powerful methodology for using AI to generate custom, dynamic case studies that align with core competencies. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Boosting CBE with AI-Generated Case Studies
Can ChatGPT help students think more critically? In this episode, we talk with a forward-thinking healthcare administration faculty member who shares a powerful methodology for creating custom, dynamic AI-generated case studies that align with core competencies. We discuss how this approach saves time, enhances critical thinking, and supports more authentic learning experiences. It’s practical, innovative, and surprisingly simple.
Tune in and subscribe Nurse Educators Now on YouTube , Apple Podcasts, or Spotify for expert insights and actionable advice to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of nursing education.
Creating Competency Statements for Your Nursing Program: Models, Tips and Tools
Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
At some point, nearly every nurse educator has written a reference letter describing a student as “competent”. Likewise, when discussing students who are struggling, we might say “She hasn’t yet reached the expected level of competence.” While we usually know what we mean by “competent”, it’s not always clear to others. This lack of clarity, along with the complexity of the current health care system, is driving the shift toward Competency-Based Education (CBE) in nursing programs.
Although some nursing programs—like other health professions —have incorporated competency-based approaches for many years, it has become more common. One catalyst was the AACN’s 2021 publication: The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf). Other nursing/accreditation organizations are also encouraging the use of competencies to prepare and evaluate nursing students. For example, NLN has published a Competency -Based Education Toolkit to support nursing faculty in implementing this approach. (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf).
Competency-Based Education (CBE)
As promised in our February 2025 Collaborative Momentum Consulting blog, we’re diving deeper into CBE- starting with a discussion of competency statements. Traditionally, nursing programs have used program goals, or student learning outcomes, to define the knowledge, skills and attitudes students should demonstrate by graduation. However, these outcomes are frequently too broad or abstract to support reliable measurement. In addition, course objectives are often not aligned with program goals, making it difficult to accurately assess learners’ competency.
Clear, measurable exit competency statements help faculty develop desired competencies which articulate behaviors necessary for successful practice post-graduation. Once these exit competencies are established, more specific competence statements (often referred to as sub-competencies) can suggest assessment measures to evaluate learners’ abilities as they move through the course of study. This backward design of the curriculum provides a roadmap to guide learners and faculty in assessing the knowledge and behaviors necessary for practice.
How to Develop Effective Competency Statements in Nursing Education
How do nurse educators evaluate clinical judgment during technical skill performance? In this episode, we explore competency-based education (CBE) strategies used in the nursing skills lab, including fair evaluation across multiple faculty and how emerging tools like AI may support competency documentation.
