Caring Science Nurse Education Certificate Program (NECP)
starts April 13
Contributor: Marcia Hills, RN PhD FAAN FCAN FCNEI
My Awakening
Early in my career, I found myself in a position that many of you might recognize. I had completed my PhD …post graduate education, I was clinically experienced, I had taught for some years, and yet, when I stepped into the role of Director for the Collaborative Nursing Program of BC, I was struck by a profound realization: I wasn’t teaching nursing; I was teaching medicine to nursing students!
My “light bulb” moment came when, during the curriculum revolution, I began working with Dr. Em Bevis. With her guidance, I came to understand that nursing and medicine are not the same, that nursing is a human science not a biomedical science. In those early days, Dr. Jean Watson joined us and we worked collaboratively to create Canada’s first Caring Science curriculum.
The Curriculum Revolution called for nursing education to be grounded on its own disciplinary base rather than on medicine’s and on a humanistic education theory rather than a behavioural Tylerian one. The revolution may seem now like ancient history, however, it spawned over 30 years of innovation and change in nursing education and practice that continue to this day. Many nurse educators, practitioners, and administrators now embrace Caring Science theory and nurses’ unique disciplinary knowledge, including their ontology of caring, wholeness, and an understanding of people’s experiences of health and healing.
Two recent significant developments continue to advance this agenda. The revised American Nurses Association’s (ANA) definition of nursing now states, “Nursing integrates the art and science of caring …. And, the American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) Essentials for Nursing Education document now includes Watson’s 10 Caritas Processes. These changes will demand that schools of nursing give considerable thought to how to teach Caring in their future programs.
OK! How? It is obvious, but important to state, that, since caring is the foundation of nursing practice, a caring science theory is required in order to teach nurses how to nurse. A review of current nursing curricula would reveal that many of them claim to be based on and have added content about caring theories. One could easily reach the conclusion that that is enough. I contend that it is not.
While it is essential for all nurse educators to embrace a caring theory, that alone is insufficient. Caring theories do not provide sufficient knowledge or concepts to inform educators how to teach. How students are taught about caring is as important as what they are taught. Accordingly, nurse educators must also rely on education theories to deliver the requisite knowledge and concepts.
We cannot teach “caring” or promote nurses’ disciplinary knowledge through oppressive, transactional lecturing. We must live it through relational and emancipatory pedagogy. I, personally, endorse Critical Social Theory. It is based on Paulo Freire’s emancipatory pedagogy and it contains concepts that are foundational to a Caring Science curriculum including; dialectal thinking, critical consciousness, critical dialogue, reflective praxis, hegemony, social justice, and equity.
Including education theories and their concepts into nursing education programs will ensure that we will graduate nurses who are prepared not only to practice from a person-centered caring perspective but who are also able to address the changes that our struggling healthcare systems require!
An Invitation to the Journey: NECP Module 1
Visitors to Nursology.net are already dedicated to the development of nursing knowledge. However, even the most robust epistemology can be undermined if the way we teach remains rooted in traditional, power-over structures. I am thrilled to announce a new opportunity for nurse educators to confront that issue.
The Global Alliance for Human Caring Education (GAHCE) was established in 2017. Its international mission is to assist nursing programs to develop new and enhance existing nursing programs towards a Caring Science curriculum and pedagogy. GAHCE has just announced its new Caring Science Nurse Education Certificate Program (NECP). NECP is a three-module journey designed specifically for those who have the degrees but who may lack formal education in Caring Science curriculum development or pedagogy.
We will begin with Module 1: Foundations of Caring Science Pedagogy and Curriculum Development. In this four-week online course, I will personally facilitate a process that moves beyond the “what” of teaching to the “how” and “why”.
Why Join This Conversation?
If you are looking for the confidence to facilitate learning from a Caring Science perspective, here is what we will explore together:
- Articulating Your Philosophy: We will dig into the values and assumptions that underlie your vision of nursing and nursing education.
- Emancipatory Knowing in Action: We will practice emancipatory and socio-political knowing by creating collaborative relationships where participants feel safe to voice ideas and struggle with complex issues.
- Critical Dialogue: We will move away from passive lecturing to learning strategies that engage participants in critical reflection, dialectical thinking and dialogue.
- Practice Evaluation: We will shift from memorization and multiple-choice testing toward evaluation based on written reflection and clinical performance from a Caring Science perspective.
The Experience
This isn’t just another “online course.” It will be a relational experience. Based on the book I co-authored with Dr. Jean Watson and Dr. Chantal Cara—Creating a Caring Science Curriculum (2021)—the course uses weekly reflective activities and real-time Zoom sessions to foster a true learning community.
Our next cohort for Module 1 begins April 13, 2026. It is a 4-week commitment that offers 32 contact hours (American Nurses Credentialing Center ANCC).
- Investment: $500 CAD (~$360 usd).
- Registration Open: now
- Further information: access the course flyer here
- Direct Access: to the registration and payment links, click here
- GAHCE Mailing List: to be added, click here
- Inquiries: Reach out to me directly at humancaringeducation@gmail.com
I look forward to our journey together!
About the Author
Dr. Marcia Hills is the President of the Global Alliance for Human Caring Education (GAHCE) and a Distinguished Caring Science Scholar. A Professor Emerita of the University of Victoria, Canada, she has dedicated her career to health promotion; nursing; and relational, emancipatory pedagogy.
Exactly what and how nurse educators need to hear…thank you for this straightforward call to action.
Savina Schoenhofer
Thank you Marcia for sharing this inspiring initiative. While nursing has made significant progress in advancing its knowledge base, educational approaches must also continue to evolve in ways that reflect the relational, ethical, and humanistic foundations of the discipline. Revisiting pedagogy through the lens of Caring Science offers a valuable opportunity to foster more reflective, collaborative, and transformative learning environments for both educators and students. Your Module can meaningfully support nurse educators in aligning curriculum development, teaching practices, and evaluation strategies with Caring Science, ultimately strengthening the preparation of future nurses to a caring praxis. I look forward to seeing the impact of this initiative on nursing education globally.
Thank you, Marcia, for your thoughtful and compelling piece, which brings forward the ongoing tension in nursing education between content-heavy, exam-oriented approaches intensified by NCLEX expectations and the call to ground teaching in nursing’s own disciplinary knowledge, relational practice, and ways of knowing.
The narrative of “awakening” is especially resonant, capturing a realization many nurse educators encounter but may not fully name. The nuanced examination of the longstanding interplay between nursing and medicine, alongside a grounding in Caring Science and emancipatory pedagogy, offers a meaningful direction for re-centering nursing within its own disciplinary foundation.
The NECP presents a valuable opportunity for educators to strengthen not only their understanding of Caring Science, but their capacity to teach in ways that are relational, reflective, and aligned with the core values of the discipline.