Transforming a Curriculum to Progress the Associate Degree Nurse to Advanced Practice Sarah Fogel, PhD, RN, FAAN & Karen Hande, DNP, RN & Betsy Kennedy, PhD, RN, CNE The educational preparation of associate degree nurses to the master’s level requires attainment of baccalaureate-level content. This preparation involves specialized curriculum and varied teaching techniques. Using adult learning theory and aspects of competency-based learning, students and faculty may participate in a gratifying and successful educational experience. The revision of an ongoing associate degree to baccalaureate-level curriculum is presented in this article. Keywords: associate degree nurse; competency-based learning; curriculum revision; master of science in nursing; nursing curriculum N ursing programs designed to advance the associate degree nurse (ADN) to the baccalaureate level (BSN) in a span of 1 to 2 years are becoming more popular as many hospitals strive toward Magnet A status. 1 However, many associate degree and diploma nurses are choosing to seek advanced nursing education within the same timeframe. Furthermore, nurses with associate of science degrees in nurs- ing (ASN) are coming to completion programs as second-degree students having had careers and experience in myriad professions outside nursing. In this article, and for clarity, we will be using ASN to represent ADNs, ASNs, and diploma nurses. The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has developed an ASN to master of science in nursing (MSN) level program (ASN-to-MSN pro- gram) with the goal of preparing RNs with any type of associate degree or diploma for advanced practice in the same amount of time as it takes to obtain BSN completion (2 semesters for the BSN equivalency and 3 to 5 semesters [depending on specialty] for the specialty MSN). Although students are ad- mitted to the MSN program, associate degree-prepared and diploma nurses are required to complete the BSN equivalency before entering into their specialty program. The term ASN-to- MSN level or program refers to the curriculum that leads to entry into the specialty program. Several factors influenced the initiation of curriculum revision for the BSN equivalency portion of the ASN-to-MSN curriculum: (1) dynamic trans- formations in the healthcare delivery system and the nurse’s role, (2) recent reports urging seamless transition and health- care education reform, 2-4 and (3) a program leadership change. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Practice 5 was used as a framework to evaluate our existing curriculum and to design an innovative curriculum that bridges BSN com- petencies with ASN education to prepare students for seamless entry into an accelerated master’s degree program. Individ- ual life experience and education, both within and outside the nursing discipline, are equally valued in the new curriculum. Challenges included finding the best ways to honor the individual strengths of ASN-to-MSN students and faculty while proactively transforming the curriculum to facilitate achieve- ment of level competencies and success in the MSN portion of the program. Because different advanced practice nursing specialties require specialized knowledge, it follows that ASN- to-MSN students’ experiences equipped them with various levels of knowledge in many different areas before entering into this program. The purpose of this article is to describe the BSN equivalency component of a new ASN-to-MSN cur- riculum that incorporates aspects of competency-based learn- ing, adult learning theory, and our own past experience to provide excellent preparation for entry into an advanced practice curriculum. Former Curriculum The ASN-to-MSN program was originally developed using adult learning theory, with a focus on self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation to learn. 6-8 As the types of ASN students who matriculated evolved, including experienced RNs and second career RNs, a continued emphasis on the theory acknowledging previous learning and experience, as well as motivation, necessitated curricular change. The curriculum was originally focused heavily on liberal arts, nursing theory, leadership, and basic principles of research. Over time, by eliminating information deemed repetitive, the curriculum was collapsed from 3 semesters into 2, reducing the total credit hours of the BSN equivalency from 43 to 26. This revision allowed students to have a 1-semester break between completing the BSN equivalency (pre-MSN) and Nurse Educator Volume 40 & Number 5 & September/October 2015 241 Nurse Educator Nurse Educator Nurse Educator Vol. 40, No. 5, pp. 241-243 Copyright * 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Author Affiliations: Professor and Director of ASN to MSN Program (Dr Fogel), Assistant Professor (Dr Hande), Associate Professor and Director of Faculty Development (Dr Kennedy), Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Nashville, Tennessee. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Correspondence: Dr Fogel, Vanderbilt School of Nursing, 461 21st Avenue South, Godchaux Hall 307, Nashville, TN 37240 (sarah.fogel@vanderbilt.edu). Accepted for publication: January 18, 2015 Published ahead of print: March 13, 2015 DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000154 Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.