A practical starting point for strengthening systems and sustaining improvement
The Ecosystem Tool Kit is designed to help academic nursing programs move from understanding the framework to taking coordinated, systems-level action. It supports continuous quality improvement by guiding teams through assessment, reflection, action, and monitoring—without creating unnecessary burden.
Use the steps below to get started.
Before beginning, review the Ecosystem overview materials to understand how the framework is organized and how it supports Access, Connection, and Engagement.
Recommended starting points:
This shared foundation helps ensure common language and purpose across your team.
The tool kit focuses on the Operational Core, where institutional systems shape daily learning and working experiences.
Select one Operational Condition to review:
Each Condition has its own audit tool and scenario set. Programs are encouraged to focus on one Condition at a time.
Create a small, cross-functional team that understands how the selected system operates in practice.
Teams typically include:
The goal is to bring together perspectives from those who design, use, and are affected by the system.
Use the audit tool aligned with your selected Operational Condition. The audit helps teams:
Score indicators using the provided rubric and document brief narrative observations.
After completing the audit, pause to interpret what the results reveal about system performance and experience.
Teams consider:
Humanistic Conditions Reflection
Reflect on which Humanistic Conditions are most affected by the identified system gaps:
These reflections help teams understand not just what is happening, but how people experience the system.
Based on audit results and reflection, identify a small number of priority system gaps to address.
Focus on:
Programs are encouraged to start with one or two priorities rather than attempting broad change all at once.
Once priorities are identified, select scenarios that most closely align with the challenges you are addressing.
The scenarios:
Not every challenge will be represented exactly. Scenarios are intended as illustrative guides—their value lies in supporting strategic thinking and adaptation, not exact replication.
Apply selected strategies using your existing planning, governance, and decision-making structures.
After changes are underway:
This continuous quality improvement approach helps programs move from isolated fixes to lasting system improvement.
Completion of the audit marks a transition point—from observation to action. Over time, repeated use of the tool kit supports:
Programs are encouraged to revisit the tool kit as priorities evolve and conditions change, using it as a practical companion to sustained institutional excellence.
Institutions strengthen systems and sustain Access, Connection, and Engagement.
This tool kit applies across all five conditions of the Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing. For each condition, use the following steps to guide your exploration:
Review the framework description and its connection to the Humanistic Conditions.
Apply the suggested strategies to strengthen policies, practices, and systems.
Explore scenarios thaat illustrate real-world challenges and solutions.
Use the reflection questions to guide dialogue and planning.
Complete the self-assessment dashboard to evaluate progress and map growth.
The framework is intentionally adaptable, honoring each program’s mission, values, traditions, resources, and partnerships. By centering people and aligning institutional priorities, the Ecosystem equips schools of nursing to strengthen academic excellence, workforce readiness, and contributions to healthcare and community well-being.
Coming soon!