Establishing an undergraduate nursing program: Four pillars for success

Nurse educators have many resources to help guide them in curriculum design and evaluation and in creating and implementing new teaching-learning practices. However, fewer resources are available that address program creation and development. This article presents the activities that encompassed the development and implementation of the first six years of a traditional undergraduate BSN program. The authors present an organizing framework for program development and posit that a quality program has four pillars: Mission, Student Engagement, NCLEX Success, and Continuous Quality Improvement.