Can anyone tell me

opalmRN · May 7, 2004

What exactly is the difference in an integrated curriculum and a blocked curriculum in the Nursing program? What are the differences in the end result?
Thanks

Did you ask the admissions office?

llg, PhD, RN · May 7, 2004

In an integrated curriculum, basic concepts (e.g. oxygenation, grief, loss, adaptation, whatever) are woven into the program throughout all the different clinical areas. Students may be assigned to totally different clincical areas while they attend the same lectures. Some students may be in pediatrics and others in adult med/surg while they go to the same lectures. That's how it was at the school I attended many years ago.

In a block curriculum, the lecture content is "blocked" together with a certain clinical area. All the students currently in peds go to a specific set of lectures ... and the students who are in adult med/surg go to another set of lectures ... and the students in maternity go to another set of lectures, etc.

I am not aware of any research that shows that one is better than the other or that the product produced by each is significantly different. My guess would be that the educational outcomes would depend more on the quallity of the particular program, the quality of the particular teachers, and the quality of the particular students than on the type of curriculum.

Having been a student in an integrated curriculum and a teacher in a block curriculum, I don't think either one is necessarily better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

llg

KattB · May 7, 2004

Oh okay thank you. The cc in my area has several different locations and one of them offer the block curriculum while the other ones offer the integrated and I was just wondering to up my chances of getting in should I apply to that one as well. When you apply you get a 1st choice, 2nd and 3rd but their are 2 other schools not included in those choices, that you can apply to as well. I just wanted to find out the differences and the outcome, etc. I really appreciate the info you gave me, thanks!