A comparative study of the curriculum in Master's degree of Critical Care Nursing in Iran and Sydney, Australia

The Master of Critical Care Nursing is responsible for training specialized and professional graduates. Comparing different curricula improves the content and quality of the curriculum. This study aimed to compare the curriculum of critical care nursing in Iran with the University of Sydney in Australia.

This descriptive-comparative study was conducted in 1400. Iran's critical care nursing curriculum was compared with the University of Sydney. The required information was done by internet search in valid databases. Data analysis was performed using the Bereday model in four steps including description, interpretation, Juxtaposition, and comparison.

The mission, educational goals, and course content in the two curricula had significant similarities. But philosophy, vision, admission requirements, educational strategies, and tuition fees were somewhat different. The philosophy at the University of Sydney is based on caring with a cohesive and family-oriented approach and in Iran is based more on social values ​​. Having an RN degree and fluency in English is one of the main conditions for admitting a student in this field at the University of Sydney, while in Iran there is no need for a language degree or a certificate of professional competence.

According to the findings of the study, changes in the intensive care curriculum based on family-centered care and creating diversity in educational strategies with more emphasis on English language skills, and providing some units online are recommended.