A blueprint for integrating nursing history: Performance indicators for competency-based education

Abstract

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing published The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, a framework to educationally prepare individuals for the discipline of nursing. The framework includes 10 domains and specific expected competencies, sub-competencies, and concepts, with nursing history integrated in Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice. The delineation of specific competencies and sub-competencies encourages and supports competency-based education, holding students accountable to the mastery of critical areas of study. This article explores practical integration of nursing history into entry- and advanced-level nursing education curricula using a competency-based education approach. Specifically, it provides a blueprint for defining observable behaviors to assess competency associated with knowledge of nursing's history using the American Association for the History of Nursing (AAHN) nursing history framework. Clearly defined performance indicators for entry- and advanced-level nursing education allow students to demonstrate what they can do with what they know about nursing history and role expectations of the professional nurse. The nursing history performance indicators and assessment strategies suggested in this article can aid educators in prioritizing learning goals and measuring mastery for the nursing history-focused sub-competencies.