Evidence Based Education Approach (EBE)
Overview
At Donnelly College, the nursing program follows an Evidence-Based Education/EBE framework that places student mastery and readiness at the center of the learning process. Our approach is grounded in academic excellence, Catholic values, and Roy's Adaptation Model, with a commitment to preparing safe, ethical, and compassionate nurses who promote adaptation and integrity across diverse care settings especially among underserved populations. The evidence-based model ensures that all students are evaluated on their ability to demonstrate essential nursing competencies through real-world application and reflective growth not just completion of coursework or time spent in class.
Core Principles of the Donnelly EBE/Evidence Based Education Approach
- Student-Centered Learning - A student's progress is based on demonstrated mastery of competencies.
- Learning activities are designed to accommodate diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and learning paces.
- Faculty act as coaches, mentors, and facilitators of reflective, personalized growth.
- Clearly Defined Competencies
- Each course and clinical experience is built around core nursing competencies, aligned with:
- ANA Standards of Professional Nursing Practice
- QSEN Competencies
- NextGen NCLEX Clinical Judgment Model
- Competencies are observable, measurable, and directly linked to real-world nursing practice, Authentic Assessment.
- Students demonstrate their competency through:
- Clinical performance evaluations
- Simulation experiences
- Case studies and unfolding scenarios
- NGN-style testing (e.g., matrix/grid questions, prioritization exercises)
- Rubrics, benchmarks, and feedback guide assessment and support remediation.
- ATI/Assessment Technology Institute scoring system (TEAS/Test of Essential Academic Skills) is a valid predictor of student readiness for the rigors of the nursing program
- Mastery-Based Progression
- Students must achieve minimum competency thresholds before advancing.
- Those needing additional support receive timely, focused remediation.
- Excellence is encouraged beyond minimum standards, fostering confidence and clinical decision-making.
- Reflective and Caring Practice
- Guided by Roy s Adaptation Model, students engage in reflection to analyze their responses to stimuli and build adaptive behaviors.
- Learning experiences focus not only on skill development, but also on enhancing self-concept, role function, interdependence, and physiological integrity as they relate to professional formation.
- Faculty Role in the Donnelly EBE Model
- Faculty are more than instructors they are adaptive guides who:
- Facilitate learning experiences that promote adaptation across Roy s four adaptive modes
- Provide individualized feedback and help students identify effective and ineffective behaviors
- Use structured tools to ensure equitable and transparent assessment
- Support student growth through academic, emotional, and professional challenges
- Continuously evaluate and adapt curriculum based on student outcomes and performance data
- Engage in continuous curriculum improvement based on student performance data