Learning Activity Based Curriculum
The five clinical learning activities 1) concept-based experience, 2) case-based experience, 3) intervention-skill based experience, 4) direct focused patient care experience, and 5) integrative experience, align learning experiences and instructional strategies with the Ten MANE Competence Statements, the seven (7) Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLO’s) and with the Benchmark Competencies of the MANE Curriculum Plan.
Clinical Learning Activities
- Experiential learning experiences reinforce and model concept-based education
- Each of the 5 learning activities occur each semester adapting to the knowledge level of the student
- As students progress within the curriculum, they draw from their concept base of knowledge and apply to specific patient, family, community or population needs
- MANE Nursing Graduates will be critical thinkers, capable of drawing from their knowledge to perform safely and competently within new, unknown or specific situations

Concept-based Experience is designed to support student learning of pattern recognition. Through multiple encounters with clients experiencing the same problem, students learn pattern recognition associated with a specific concept, illness, disease or health problem.
Case-based Experience presents students with authentic clinical problems they will likely encounter in practice and provides opportunities for students to learn to think like a nurse through client case exemplars. It encompasses seminar discussion of faculty designed or computer-based cases, as well as a variety of simulations including use of high, mid and low fidelity environments using human patient simulators, standardized patients and role-playing.
Intervention Skill-based Experience builds proficiency in the “know-how” and “know-why” of nursing practice. These experiences include psychomotor skills, as well as communication, teaching, advocacy, coaching, and interpersonal skills among others.
Direct Focused Client Care Experience enables the student to gain progressive experience in the actual delivery of nursing care and to build and understand the role of developing relationships with patients. The assigned focus for a care experience allows the student to apply a growing knowledge and skill base to client care. Students learn to establish and nurture the nurse/client relationship and integrate the ethics of caring for individuals.
Integrative Experience provides opportunity for the student to apply all elements of prior learning into an authentic clinical practice situation. The purpose is also to begin the transition into practice. Rather than the student being assigned to a particular client, the student is assigned to work with a registered nurse and provides client care with, and under the direction of, the registered nurse. The student practices integration of knowledge, clinical judgment and competencies while providing client care and studies the role of the registered nurse as it is expressed in a particular organizational environment.
Definitions used with permission from the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE).
Tanner, C. A. (2008). From random access opportunity to a clinical education curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(1), 3-4.