Advancing a Competency-Based Approach: Threading Policy Through Nursing Curriculum and Practice
Webinar Details
As nurses are increasingly called to lead in advocacy, system change, and policy development, it is critical that nursing students graduate with strong policy competencies grounded in both academic and practice-based learning. This webinar features a panel of expert faculty and frontline practitioners who will share strategies for integrating policy across the nursing curriculum using a competency-based education (CBE) framework.
The discussion will highlight innovative approaches to connecting policy learning with real-world clinical experiences, demonstrate how academic-practice partnerships support policy skill development, and explore why policy literacy is essential to nursing identity and impact. Attendees will leave with concrete ideas for designing meaningful, competency-driven policy learning experiences that prepare students to lead and influence health outcomes.
Outcomes:
- Develop practice-based experiences where policy knowledge is applied in real-world context.
- Integrate policy-related experiential learning opportunities into the curriculum.
- Utilize forms of evidence to assess student engagement, growth, and mastery of policy-related competencies.
- Engage students in interdisciplinary or interprofessional policy experiences that build their competency in systems thinking and collaborative leadership.
Note: Recording of the webinar will be available soon after the webinar airs. Visit AACN's On-Demand Webinars to watch.
Speakers
Shannon K. Idzik, DNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Professor, Associate Dean for the DNP Program
University of Maryland School of Nursing
Dr. Shannon ldzik is a Professor and Associate Dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she has served on faculty since 2005. She previously directed both the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program and the DNP Program. She led the school's transition to a BSN-to-DNP model and consults nationally with institutions developing or evaluating DNP programs.
Dr. ldzik is the current President of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and served as ls Treasurer. She was a member of the 19-rnember national task force that revised the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs, the national standards for NP education. She is a former member of the AACN Task Force on Implementation of the DNP and continues to serve as a Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education (CCNE) site visitor.
Her scholarly work focuses on advanced practice nursing education and NP workforce policy. She has given more than 100 presentations on these topics and more than 50 publications. She has served as principal investigator on more than $2.2 million in grant funding on these initiatives and served as key personnel on more than $20 million. She has held leadership roles on statewide organizations and national committees, including past-president of the Nurse Practitioner Association on Maryland, Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission workgroups, and the National Clinical Care Commission, a federal advisory commission on diabetes care. She maintains clinical practice as a nurse practitioner in the Comprehensive CARE Center at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, caring for underserved and medically complex populations. She has received multiple national awards, including the AANP State Award for Excellence and the NONPF Policy Award.
Carolyn Rutledge, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN
Professor and Eminent Scholar, Executive Director of Faculty Development, Innovation, and Research
Old Dominion University, Ellmer School of Nursing
Dr. Carolyn Rutledge is Professor and Eminent Scholar at Old Dominion University (ODU). She has collected data, created policy initiatives, and provided testimony to support nursing. She has published over 70 articles and received 32 grant applications totaling over $28 million focusing on new models of care. She is a sought-after national consultant in telehealth and published the book, “Telehealth Essentials for Advanced Practice Nursing”. She led development of the ODU Center for Interprofessional Education and the development of two Nurse Practitioner-led free ODU clinics - the PiN Clinic for the homeless and a rural Mobile Health Clinic. She has inspired DNP students to use data obtained through their DNP research projects to lobby for policy changes locally, regionally, and nationally.
Joseph W. Tacy, PhD, RN, CNE
Director and Professor
Lamar University
Dr. Joseph W. Tacy is Director and Professor of the JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing at Lamar University. Dr. Tacy received his PhD in Nursing from The University of Texas at Tyler, an MSN in Nursing Education from James Madison University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Regents Studies from West Virginia University, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Davis and Elkins College. Dr. Tacy has multiple years of experience in telemetry medical-surgical, orthopedic, and administrative nursing, which he integrates into his teaching and leadership. He has taught a wide range of courses, including contemporary issues, informatics, health assessment, clinical applications, and health policy. His instruction in health policy emphasizes the critical role nurses play in shaping healthcare systems, advocating for equitable access to care, and influencing legislative and regulatory frameworks.
Dr. Tacy serves as a State Grass Roots Liaison (SGL) for AACN, representing nursing in Texas. A strong advocate for policy engagement, Dr. Tacy encourages nursing students and faculty to participate in health policy discussions at local, state, and national levels. Dr. Tacy strives to create a healthy work environment by embracing a culture of transparency and shared governance, and by allocating resources to support the well-being of the School, College, and University. He maintains a positive and enthusiastic approach to nursing education, and his students appreciate his dedication and willingness to go beyond the traditional role of a faculty member and leader.
George Zangaro, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Director
Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing
Dr. George Zangaro is the Associate Director of the DNP Executive program at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Previously, he was the Chief Policy and Scientific Officer at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. He served as Dean in the College of Nursing at Walden University serving over 16,000 students. He formerly served as the Director of the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in the Bureau of Health Workforce at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) leading a group of scientists forecasting the supply and demand projections for health professionals. He also served as the Director of the Office of Performance Measurement in the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) at HRSA where he led the development, implementation, and analysis of performance measures across more than 40 different activities. Dr. Zangaro was previously an Associate Professor and Director of Nursing Research at The Catholic University of America. He also served as the Program Director for the Health Services Leadership and Management Program in the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland Baltimore. He received his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia Union College and his master’s and doctorate (PhD) in Nursing from the University of Maryland Baltimore.
Dr. Zangaro’s major career focus has been on the development of the nursing workforce to specifically address the areas of recruitment, retention, and educational development of nurses. Dr. Zangaro has served as a principal investigator, associate investigator, and consultant on several funded research studies. He is an experienced researcher and educator with several years of clinical experience. Expertise in systematic reviews and meta-analysis. In 2007, Dr. Zangaro retired from the Navy after 25 years of service.
Pricing and CE Credit
This webinar is free to all.
Continuing Nursing Education
One nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) credit is associated with this webinar; attendees must be present for the entire webinar and complete the evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.