“The Curriculum: An advancement in the nursing practice and knowledge”

The webinar discussion’s primary foundation was the CHED memorandum order no. 15 series of 2017.

It implements the “shift from the competency-based standards to outcome-based education.” It specifies
the “core competencies” expected of a BS Nursing graduates. To ensure the quality of the nursing
graduates, the degree is conferred upon completion of at least four-year BSN program offered by a
college, professional institution or university duly recognized by the Commission on Higher Education.

The BSN Program provides an intensive nursing practicum that will refine further the nursing
competencies to ensure achievement of the BSN program outcomes required of an entry level nurse.

It aims to develop a professional nurse who is able to assume entry level positions in health facilities or
community settings. The professional nurse is capable of providing safe, humane, quality and holistic
care to individuals in varying age, gender and health-illness status; healthy or at risk families; population
groups; and community, singly or in collaboration with other health care providers to promote health,
prevent illness, restore health, alleviate suffering and provide end of life crisis.

Dean Buenaseda also tackled specific requirements for the BSN curriculum, including the following:

A 192 credit units, distributed across general education, PE and NSTP 1 and 2, Major courses, and
Professional courses.

A 2,703 RLE contact hours of clinical practice and 357 laboratory hours are recommended at the end of
BSN program.

A comprehensive assessment system to evaluate student learning outcomes.

She also shared that those students with STEM strand (BSN) are performing better than non-BSN STEM
STRAND students. Based on her experience, she highlighted that STEM strand – BSN is recommended for
those aspiring nurses.

Dean Buenaseda along with Dr May, they discussed about on the CHED’s “Exit credential” wherein it is a
regular Nursing program, but at year one or after two or three years, there is an exit provision so that
after one year, you can have a certificate and you can have a nursing aid and nursing assistance. Exit
credential is CHEd’s medium intervention to address the shortage of nurses in the country.

The way they see it, it was on the market of healthcare even before and the CHED’s “Exit credential”
made it formal.