Outcomes of Concept-Based Curricula: An Integrative Review.

Background: Complexity and change in health care environments, the rapid pace of knowledge generation, and changing education policy have led to national calls for change in nursing education. Many nursing programs have adopted a concept-based curriculum (CBC) to address these challenges. Yet, much is still uncertain about the outcomes and effectiveness of CBC, which requires large scale, time-consuming, and resource-intensive change.

Method: This integrative review assesses the outcomes of CBC in nursing higher education with a focus on the comparison of CBC to traditional curricula.

Results: The four relevant themes that emerged after an extensive literature review were critical thinking/clinical judgment, NCLEX-RN^© (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) pass rates, graduation rates, and student satisfaction scores. Overall, the evidence base is not robust. A valid and reliable tool to measure clinical judgment is needed. The review specifically addresses CBC effects on student critical thinking and clinical judgment, traditional outcome metrics, (NCLEX-RN success, graduation rates, and student satisfaction), and other perceived benefits.

Conclusion: The authors found promising results on the effect CBC may have on critical thinking and clinical judgment and other perceived benefits. Findings were inconclusive on traditional outcome metrics. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(11):725-729.].