Background: Transformative changes in nursing education are compelling nursing programs to transition to a backward design-driven competency- and clinical judgment-based curriculum design. Little guidance exists on backward design application in nursing. Purpose: This rapid review aims to identify what is known about the use, implementation, and outcomes of backward design (BWD) in healthcare professional education programs. Methods: A rapid review of the literature was conducted using the Interim Guidance for Rapid Reviews Methods in concert with the PRISMA-P protocol, the PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration, and the PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines. Results: There was no empirical evidence of the efficacy of BWD in achieving competency-based outcomes. Results focused on strengths and benefits for students and faculty and provided implementation tips. BWD better assured the alignment of course learning outcomes, assessments, and learning activities. There was more student engagement and mastery of skills, and greater faculty effectiveness in the learner-centered BWD approach. Conclusions: Our findings show the utility of BWD in healthcare education and provide models for application of BWD as an effective curricular framework in nursing. Our review shows the importance of the adoption of a standardized curricular framework in nursing education. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.
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