Comparison of two Nursing Education System - Essay Example

After entering into China, the Western missionaries reportedly took many native Chinese nationals into the missionary hospitals and nursing schools for training. By 1923, about 32% of all nurses in China were those from missionaries. The influence of the Chinese nursing profession by America was also profound. In fact, many people believe that the American influence of the Chinese nursing profession is more or less the same as the influence it has had on the Chinese medical education. Miss Gage, a renowned registered nurse, is one such American whose influence on the nursing profession in China is exceedingly profound.

After arriving in China in 1908, she embarked on establishing a nurse-training program as part of her mission in Changsha to help educate native Chinese people. Her nursing training program enabled many Chinese nationals to enroll in nursing (Xu, Xu, and Zhang, 2000). Unlike in China where nursing education was introduced in 1888, nursing education in Ireland was introduced in the mid 20the century. This follows the introduction of a new model of nursing education as an alternative to the apprenticeship model.

At the same time, unlike the Chinese nursing education system that was influenced mainly by the Western missionaries, the Irish nursing education was influenced mainly by the European Economic Community (EEC) following its entry as a member of the community in 1973. For instance, the EEC’s 1979 order for general nursing required mutual recognition of qualifications in all European member states. In addition, the 1989 EEC directive that required 4,600 hours of practical and theoretical training in all European member states had an enormous impact on the nursing education system in Ireland (O'dwyer, 2007).

The Irish nurses, unlike the Chinese nurses, also played a pivotal role in reforming the nursing education in Ireland. This follows their clamor for reforms in which the Irish nurses took to the street in 1999. This compelled the Irish government to consider nursing education appropriate for the development of the country. This led to the establishment of nursing training schools in the country. (O'dwyer, 2007). Government and Nursing Organizations Influencing Nursing Education: Comparison of China and Ireland In china, nursing training was influenced by a number of organizations and government agency.

Among the organizations that influenced nursing training in China include the Perking Union Medical College (PUMC), which was the first collegiate nursing programme in the country. It influenced nursing training by developing an elite education and service programme similar to those of the West. The State Planning Commission and Ministry of Education also influenced the nursing education system in China (Hong and Yatsushiro, 2001). The Irish nursing education, on the other hand, was influenced by government agencies such as Irish Nursing Board, which stimulated the establishment of a university to train nurses in Ireland.

The Irish Matrons’ Association also played a pivotal role in influencing nursing training in Ireland. It did this by commissioning a report that highlighted the need for a nurse training institution in Ireland. The Commission of Nursing created by the Ministry of Health in 1997 also brought significant transformation in