Microbiology in Nursing and Allied Health (MINAH) Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines: A Call to Retain Microbiology Lecture and Laboratory Courses in Nursing and Allied Health Programs

This position paper presents the Microbiology in Nursing and Allied Health (MINAH) Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines (Appendix 1) that were developed by a committee effort of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). These guidelines differ from the 2012 General Microbiology Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines presented by a separate ASM taskforce. The fact that some U.S. nursing programs are eliminating microbiology courses from their curriculum prompted the development of curriculum guidelines focused on nursing and allied health. Here we review: 1) factors that have shifted microbiology’s place in health professions curricula (with a focus on nursing associate degree programs); 2) resources to support microbiology’s inclusion in nursing and allied health programs; and 3) recommendations for maintaining microbiology as a full course (lecture and laboratory) in nursing and allied health undergraduate curricula.