Curriculum trends in nurse practitioner programs: Current and ideal

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which nurse practi tioner (NP) education programs are addressing curriculum topics related to practice competencies needed for the next century as recommended by the Pew Health Professions Commission and other professional organizations, includ ing the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Organi zation of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. The study was part of a comprehensi ve survey of 11 health professions education programs. NP program directors indicated greatest dissatisfaction with curriculum coverage of "use of ele ctronic information systems" and "business management of practice." The thr ee most important curriculum topics identified by respondents were "primary care," "health promotion/disease prevention," and "effective patient-provi der relationships/communication," identical to the three topics rated most important by all groups combined. The most significant barriers to change i dentified by the respondents included "an already crowded curriculum" and " limited availability of clinical learning sites." Findings show that NP pro gram directors perceive that they are doing an effective job addressing mos t of the 33 curriculum topics, but they also recognize a need to continue t o improve their curricula in response to the ever-changing health care envi ronment. Barriers to achieving the desired curricular improvements, however , may be significant. Recommendations for overcoming these barriers to chan ge are offered.