A new curriculum for a new millennium

In the last few years of the 20th century, many factors converged at Auburn University School of Nursing, giving faculty the opportunity to explore beliefs about curriculum and the nursing profession's role in the 21st century. The result of this opportunity was the creation of a new curriculum that brings to life the conviction that nursing is not bound by the 4 walls of a hospital, but is a humanistic discipline that can be practiced anywhere. This article explains the intersection of variables that influenced the development of a new curriculum, including the call by nursing leaders for educators to drastically change their approach to the education of students. We describe the process of developing a community-based curriculum, with innovative examples of clinical and theory experiences on a semester-by-semester basis. Strategies to address obstacles to implementation of a community-based curriculum are included.