GETTING STARTED IN TEACHING FOR
NURSING AND THE HEALTH
PROFESSIONS
1ST EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JUDITH A. HALSTEAD;
DIANE M. BILLINGS
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Introduction to Curriculum Development
Stem
A nursing program is revising its entry-level curriculum after
employer feedback that graduates lack systems thinking and
population-level competence. As the faculty member leading
the initial planning retreat, you must prioritize the first
curricular decision that will best ensure graduates demonstrate
Page | 1
,these competencies. Which initial action most directly aligns
curricular structure with workforce expectations?
A. Add a new standalone course titled “Population Health and
Systems” in year three.
B. Conduct a program-level outcomes revision to explicitly
include systems thinking and population health competencies.
C. Increase clinical hours across existing community placements
by 15%.
D. Create faculty development workshops on teaching systems
thinking.
Correct answer
B
Rationale — Correct
Revising program-level outcomes ensures the curriculum’s end
goals explicitly state the competencies employers requested;
subsequent course sequencing, assessment, and mapping then
align to those outcomes. Halstead & Billings emphasize starting
with clearly articulated program outcomes so that curriculum
design is purposefully aligned rather than ad hoc. Without
outcome revision, added courses or hours may not cohere into
a program that reliably produces the desired competence.
Rationales — Incorrect
A. A standalone course risks siloing content; without aligning
outcomes and assessment, it may not change overall graduate
competence.
C. Increasing hours changes exposure but not necessarily
Page | 2
,competence unless outcomes and assessments are realigned.
D. Faculty development is necessary but subordinate; it
supports curriculum change only after outcomes and structure
are set.
Teaching point
Start curriculum design by defining or revising explicit program
outcomes.
Citation
Halstead, J. A., & Billings, D. M. (2025). Getting Started in
Teaching for Nursing and the Health Professions (1st Ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Introduction to Curriculum Development
Stem
Your department must choose between two curriculum models:
content-based (discipline courses organized by subject) or
competency-based (organized by demonstrable outcomes).
Given competing priorities of accreditation reporting, student
workload, and graduate readiness for practice, which evaluative
criterion should drive the selection of the curriculum model?
A. Ease of scheduling and faculty workload distribution.
B. The model that most transparently maps to required
accreditation standards.
C. The degree to which the model promotes achievement and
Page | 3
, assessment of required competencies.
D. Student preference as measured by a campus survey.
Correct answer
C
Rationale — Correct
Choosing a model should be driven by whether it facilitates
learners’ attainment and assessment of required competencies;
Halstead & Billings prioritize outcome alignment and valid
assessment as central to model selection. While accreditation,
workload, and student preference matter, the primary
curricular design criterion is pedagogical effectiveness in
producing intended competencies.
Rationales — Incorrect
A. Operational concerns are important but secondary to the
curriculum’s ability to ensure learning.
B. Accreditation fit is necessary but should follow from selecting
a model that best supports competency achievement, not drive
it exclusively.
D. Student preference is informative but should not override
evidence about which model produces competence.
Teaching point
Prioritize models that enable reliable competency attainment
and assessment.
Page | 4
NURSING AND THE HEALTH
PROFESSIONS
1ST EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)JUDITH A. HALSTEAD;
DIANE M. BILLINGS
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Introduction to Curriculum Development
Stem
A nursing program is revising its entry-level curriculum after
employer feedback that graduates lack systems thinking and
population-level competence. As the faculty member leading
the initial planning retreat, you must prioritize the first
curricular decision that will best ensure graduates demonstrate
Page | 1
,these competencies. Which initial action most directly aligns
curricular structure with workforce expectations?
A. Add a new standalone course titled “Population Health and
Systems” in year three.
B. Conduct a program-level outcomes revision to explicitly
include systems thinking and population health competencies.
C. Increase clinical hours across existing community placements
by 15%.
D. Create faculty development workshops on teaching systems
thinking.
Correct answer
B
Rationale — Correct
Revising program-level outcomes ensures the curriculum’s end
goals explicitly state the competencies employers requested;
subsequent course sequencing, assessment, and mapping then
align to those outcomes. Halstead & Billings emphasize starting
with clearly articulated program outcomes so that curriculum
design is purposefully aligned rather than ad hoc. Without
outcome revision, added courses or hours may not cohere into
a program that reliably produces the desired competence.
Rationales — Incorrect
A. A standalone course risks siloing content; without aligning
outcomes and assessment, it may not change overall graduate
competence.
C. Increasing hours changes exposure but not necessarily
Page | 2
,competence unless outcomes and assessments are realigned.
D. Faculty development is necessary but subordinate; it
supports curriculum change only after outcomes and structure
are set.
Teaching point
Start curriculum design by defining or revising explicit program
outcomes.
Citation
Halstead, J. A., & Billings, D. M. (2025). Getting Started in
Teaching for Nursing and the Health Professions (1st Ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Introduction to Curriculum Development
Stem
Your department must choose between two curriculum models:
content-based (discipline courses organized by subject) or
competency-based (organized by demonstrable outcomes).
Given competing priorities of accreditation reporting, student
workload, and graduate readiness for practice, which evaluative
criterion should drive the selection of the curriculum model?
A. Ease of scheduling and faculty workload distribution.
B. The model that most transparently maps to required
accreditation standards.
C. The degree to which the model promotes achievement and
Page | 3
, assessment of required competencies.
D. Student preference as measured by a campus survey.
Correct answer
C
Rationale — Correct
Choosing a model should be driven by whether it facilitates
learners’ attainment and assessment of required competencies;
Halstead & Billings prioritize outcome alignment and valid
assessment as central to model selection. While accreditation,
workload, and student preference matter, the primary
curricular design criterion is pedagogical effectiveness in
producing intended competencies.
Rationales — Incorrect
A. Operational concerns are important but secondary to the
curriculum’s ability to ensure learning.
B. Accreditation fit is necessary but should follow from selecting
a model that best supports competency achievement, not drive
it exclusively.
D. Student preference is informative but should not override
evidence about which model produces competence.
Teaching point
Prioritize models that enable reliable competency attainment
and assessment.
Page | 4
