Opening Doors with Open Resources: Transforming Nursing Education for Access and Success

Abstract

Track: Open Educational Resources, Open Pedagogy & Open Access Scholarship

The nursing workforce shortage in North Carolina has prompted innovative strategies to address educational barriers and increase nursing graduates. Guided by state legislation and the Time for Action report by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, this initiative leverages Open Educational Resources (OER) to strengthen pathways to nursing careers. This is a Systemwide initiative driven by nursing faculty representing the System’s 12 nursing schools.

Building on the 2020 UNC System Digital Course Enhancement Initiative, UNC System faculty will collaborate in Spring 2025 to develop affordable, high-quality OER materials for two foundational courses: Nursing Fundamentals and Community Health Nursing. These resources, including syllabi, assessments, PowerPoint presentations, test banks, grading guides, and instructor support, will be housed in the UNC OER Commons for statewide accessibility.

This initiative fosters evidence-based teaching strategies, making nursing education more accessible and cost-effective for all learners while serving as a replicable model for strengthening the workforce pipeline.