Comparing the master curriculum of neonatal nursing in Iran and Wayne of America: A Comparative Study

Neonatal nursing course is a period to train the most important and influential health professionals. To identify strengths, weaknesses, utilizing successful strategies, and experiences of the existing curriculum, this study were conducted to compare master curriculum of neonatal nursing program in Iran and Wayne state school of nursing in America.

This comparative study was conducted in 2020 using the Bereday model in four steps of description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison using the keywords Curriculum, Program, Logbook and Neonatal Nursing on Google Scholar. The comparative elements included the philosophy, mission, vision, values, goals and objectives, entry requirements, duration and courses, executive strategies, teaching and evaluation methods, etc.

Two countries shared almost the same vision in some cases, according to the basic principles of strategic planning. However, the definition of the field, conditions for admission and entry to the course, graduates' employment status, philosophy, mission, general purpose, role of graduates, rules and regulations, payment, structural and personnel characteristics, and postgraduate topics in nursing education were different in two universities.

The results showed that the Iranian neonatal nursing program, compared to the American one in the Wayne state University, has mainly focused on research and has executive failures in organizing vigorous entry requirements for student admission (including interview, ethical certification, academic achievement), clinical rules, enriching the students’ competencies in specialized neonatal nursing skills and knowledge, and providing and securing a better position for the graduates in the clinical settings. Therefore, with identifying these deficiencies  ,we should take steps to improve the training program to achieve better results and quality care in the field of nursing practice.