Development and Assessment of a Patient-Centered Care Curriculum

The purpose of this paper is to chronicle the development and implementation of a pilot offering of the patient-centered care (PCC) curriculum sponsored by a partnership of schools of allied health and nursing and a local health care system. The objective of this interdisciplinary track is to increase the competency of allied health and nursing graduates to function in health care teams in both PCC and non-PCC hospital environments, thus improving the effectiveness of patient care. The elective track consists of two courses; a third course is under consideration. Students and faculty participating in the elective track were surveyed to assess their attitudes toward change and patient-centered care. Generally, participants believed that they could work well together but were not convinced of the viability of the PCC. Although the curriculum is still in its implementation stage and the nursing participation became minimal, this study aids in understanding opinions of nursing and allied health faculty and students regarding a new PCC curriculum