Changes in curriculum - Essay Example

CHANGES IN THE NURSING CURRICULUM Changes in the Nursing Curriculum Word Count: 250 (1 page)Every nursing faculty will make curriculum changes. First, how do these changes happen, and what influences the change? Secondly, are they based on societal changes? 
I. IntroductionChanges in nursing curriculum occur because of changes in society. The changes exhibited in nursing curricula has a lot to do with government regulations, the healthcare industry becoming more complex (i.e., difficult to manage), and the changes and demands in health care.

Several factors can influence the change in curricula.II. Government Regulations Government regulations can make transitions in curriculum problematic. According to Iwasiw, Goldenberg, & Andrusyszyn (2009), “Curriculum development, and ultimately implementation of a redesigned curriculum…change is not always smooth” (pp. 79). Not only that, but at the level of the school, it can be particularly difficult for faculty to agree on what the curriculum should be. According to Keating (2010), “[I]nstitutional approvals [must be] obtained for nursing program curriculum…” (pp. 40).III.

The Healthcare Industry Becoming More Complex Healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, in terms of payers, payees, and billers. According to Smyth (2005), “[P]olicy makers [should] better appreciate the complexity of health care” (pp. 156). People are struggling to pay for their medications, and this is one area that nursing curricula often overlooks: medication management.IV. Changes and Demands in Health Care Changes and demands in health care continue to skyrocket, as curricula change in response.

Apparently, the numbers of people who use healthcare services is increasing. According to Tucker (2010), one of “…of the nonprice determinants that can change the demand for health care…” are the number of buyers (pp. 127).V. Conclusion Health care curricula in nursing programs are constantly changing due to government regulations, the healthcare industry becoming much, much more complex, and the changes and increasing demands in health care. REFERENCESIwasiw, C.L., Goldenberg, D.

, & Andrusyszyn, M. (2009). Curriculum development in nursing education. US: Jones & Bartlett Learning.Keating, S.B. (2010). Curriculum development and evaluation in nursing. US: Springer Publishing Company.Smyth, M.N. (2005). Health care issues. US: Nova Publishers.Tucker, I.B. (2010). Macroeconomics for today. US: Cengage Learning.