Standardized Curriculum presented to Illinois Board of Nursing 2015

December 9, 2015 Position Statements

Standardized Curriculum presented to Illinois Board of Nursing 2015

Nurses continue to lead in every area of health care, including public health agencies, primary care clinics, home health care, nursing homes, industry, health care research , nursing-school-operated nursing centers and many other areas of care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded or created programs to support the nursing profession and improve care to Americans to build on existing work and to create new opportunities. We will continue to need more nurses, particularly in primary care areas, to care for the newly insured and the increasing number of baby-boomers who continue to retire and are eligible for Medicare.

The IDFPR/Illinois Center for Nursing worked with the IHAC Education Workgroup to both develop and distribute a survey to assess support for a proposed standardized RN nursing education curriculum. The online survey was distributed to all Illinois nursing pre-licensure RN associate, hospital, baccalaureate and post-licensure baccalaureate completion programs between March and May 2014. With an 80% response rate, there was support for a standardized RN associate degree curriculum as described in the survey, promoting seamless RN education transition.

The Illinois Healthcare Action Coalition (IHAC) Education Workgroup continues to build consensus through collaborating with Illinois nursing education organizations. The se state nursing education organizations ( Illinois Association of Colleges of Nursing (IACN ), Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Deans and Directors and Illinois Organization of Associate Degree Nursing (IOADN) programs ) meet quarterly and jointly at least twice per year. At the June 12, 2014 joint meeting the standardized ADN curriculum w as approved.

The recommended standardized curriculum for Illinois Associate Degree (ADN) RN programs:

Anatomy and Physiology w/lab (8 semester hours)
Microbiology (4 semester hours)
Introduction to Psychology (3 semester hours)
Developmental Psychology (3 semester hours)
English Composition (3 semester hours)
English II (Speech) (3 semester hours)

*Approx. 38 – 40 hours of nursing

Total: 62 – 64 semester hours to transfer to BSN Completion

The Illinois Healthcare Action Coalition (IHAC) Education workgroup meets monthly by conference call to bring to life recommendations from the Institute of Medicine Report: The Future of Nursing, Leading Change, Advancing Health. This work group is composed primarily of Illinois nurse educators, and is co-chaired by Sheri Banovic/Lewis and Clark Community College and Vicki Keough/Loyola University Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Project support is provided by the Illinois Center for Nursing. Other members include:

Deborah Jezuit PhD, RN

P. Ann Solari-Twadell RN, PhD, MPA, FAAN

Peggy Cowling APN/CNS, RNC-OB, C-EFM

Ann O’Sullivan MSN, RN, CNE, NE-BC, ANEF

Lydia Falbo MSN, APHN

Kellee Hayes MSN, RN, CNE

Wendee Guth MS, RN, CNE

Margaret Gas MPA, MSN, RN

Renee Kidd-Marshall EdD., CNE, RN-BC

Vickie Folse PhD, APN, PMHCNS-BC, LCPC

Holly Janssen MSN, RN

Alma J. Labunski PhD, MS, RN