Essentials Competency Assessment

Developed by the Assessment Expert Working Group, AACN has published two companion guides to facilitate implementation of the Essentials. The Guiding Principles on Competency-Based Education and Assessment outline the six elements that distinguish competency-based education (CBE) from traditional approaches to teaching/learning and addresses the nine Core Principles for Assessment of Learners in CBE. The Essentials Competency Assessment Framework provides a shared foundation for assessing student learning within competency-based nursing education. Aligned with the Essentials, the framework clarifies expectations for competency development across nursing programs. While competencies and sub-competencies articulate what learners are expected to achieve, progression indicators describe the observable behaviors that demonstrate movement from developing to developed competence.

Combined, the two documents support transparent, consistent, and meaningful assessment of learner progression in nursing education. These documents build upon each other, outlining the importance of reframing how nursing educators approach assessment to ensure their strategies are centered on the individual learner and their ability to demonstrate understanding and attainment of the competencies and sub-competencies.

Guiding Principles on CBE and Assessment

Guiding Principles on CBE and Assessment

The Guiding Principles on Competency-Based Education and Assessment outlines the six elements that distinguish CBE from traditional approaches to teaching/learning and addresses the nine Core Principles for Assessment of Learners in CBE.

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The Essentials Competency Assessment Framework

Essentials Competency Assessment Framework

The Essentials Competency Assessment Framework outlines the evolution of student learning through competency development and achievement, encompassing assessment at both Level One (entry-level) and Level Two (advanced-level) nursing education.

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How do the Progression Indicators and Nursing Practice Scenarios align with the Essentials Competency Assessment Framework?

The Progression Indicators (PIs) and Nursing Practice Scenarios are grounded in the AACN Essentials Competency Assessment Framework and operationalize its core components for use in curriculum and assessment. While the framework establishes expectations for competency development across developing and developed levels of competence, progression indicators translate those expectations into observable behaviors that signal learner growth over time. The simulated nursing practice scenarios provide contexts for formative assessment in which expected behaviors can be demonstrated, observed, discussed, and coached in authentic practice situations, supporting learner progression along the continuum from developing to developed competence. The Scenario Development Subgroup emphasizes that simulation should be used primarily as a formative learning strategy, as premature reliance on summative assessment can limit learning and impede competency development.

 

Progression Indicators

PIs are descriptive, observable behaviors of the sub-competencies that provide nursing faculty, practice partners, and students with clear and consistent expectations for competency development throughout a program.
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Scenarios

Scenarios are intentionally designed to immerse learners in realistic clinical situations and support the development of integrated clusters of competencies, with a primary emphasis on formative feedback.
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