Development and Implementation of a Family-Focused Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum: Minnesota State University, Mankato

Nurse educators have the responsibility to create learning experiences centered on the scientific and praxis foci of the nursing discipline to advance nursing practice with families. Although the nursing profession has ample knowledge about the importance of family nursing and the value of family-focused actions, there is a lack of curricular and teaching models that address nursing practice with families in numerous courses and learning experiences. This article describes the development of a family-focused undergraduate curriculum and teaching–learning practices at Minnesota State University, Mankato in the United States. A vision and mission centered on the nursing of families, a family care teaching model, a framework of family constructs, and taxonomy of significant learning strategies guided faculty in creating learner-centered experiences. Course objectives, competencies, and teaching–learning practices in this curriculum are described. This manuscript may guide the development of innovative teaching–learning practices that integrate family nursing constructs and family nursing actions from a variety of family nursing models and theories. Initial evaluation suggests that this curriculum can increase students’ knowledge of family and instill a passion for family care in undergraduate programs.