Principles in practice: an Australian initiative in nursing curriculum development

This paper explains how curriculum values distilled from educational and nursing literature have been incorporated into a new bachelor of nursing program in an Australian University. The curriculum philosophy has been constructed to acknowledge the current learning climate and diverse learning styles, the active role teachers must play in developing competent nurses and critical thinkers, as well as the need to celebrate nursing’s diversity whilst building a strong identity. The philosophy of this new curriculum is to reclaim the human dimension of nursing and inject renewed vigour and enthusiasm into the work of teachers and students.