Nursing Education Around the Globe - Research Paper Example

? Nursing education around the globe Grade (30th, Oct. Nursing education around the globe Political History and Development of Nursing Education: Comparison of China and Kenya The history of the development of nursing education in both china and Kenya was shaped by the political environments in these countries. The colonization and the arrival of the western missionaries marked the beginning of formal nursing education (Chen, 1996). The Nursing Education history in both countries is characterized by some comparisons. First, in both countries, there did not exist any formal training for nurses before the coming of missionaries into these countries. Before then, traditional medication was the only nursing form that was offered, whose education and training was passed over from one generation to the other, through family heredity of the teaching and practices of traditional medicine (Chen, 1996). Nursing education in Kenya started in 1950, though it was conducted through informal in-service training, where the nurses who had come from the UK used to train the Kenyans they were working with in the health facilities, on different aspects of nursing (Mule, 1986). Similarly, the training of nursing in China was through in-service, where the nurses who arrived from America taught the Chinese working in the health facilities on “the Florence Nightingale system of nursing” (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). The difficulty in classifying the in-service trained nurses, according to their level of their training and the scope of their skills and experience forced both countries to establish a formal system of educating nurses, thus China established the nursing examination and certification program in 1915, while Kenya introduced the same in 1952 (Ndirangu, 1982).The other comparison in the nursing education patterns for both countries, is on the issue of nursing education and training upgrade, where the formal nursing certification in both countries was followed by an upgrade to degree programs, with China establishing a 5-year bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1920 (Chan & Wong, 1999). Kenya introduced the same in 1990. Government and Nursing Organizations Influencing Nursing Education: Comparison of China and Kenya The major comparison in the government influence of the nursing education between China and Kenya is that; both countries’ initiative to establish nursing training and certification were started by the respective governments, with the Kenyan training and certification program running for 31/2 years, while the Chinese program took 4 years (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). Political control has also characterized the nursing profession and development in both Kenya and China, where the respective governments, through the ministries of health, have been responsible for approving the nursing courses and certification programs in the countries (Klopper & Uys, 2003). The governments have been involved in establishing regulations and laws that governs and controls the nursing profession. Several laws and ordinances have been established by the two governments, to act as the tools through which the nursing profession is politically controlled. In Kenya, the 1946 June Ordinance No. 16 was established to control the health activities of the nurses (Mule, 1986). Similarly, the political control of nursing profession in China can be traced back to 1949, when the education reform in China abolished the post-secondary nursing training, instead introducing the 3-year nursing training, following the 9 years of primary and secondary education (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). Both countries have established Nursing organizations, responsible for uniting, developing, and promoting nursing professionalism, with the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) being the peak body of the nursing profession in the country, while the Chinese Nursing Association (CAN), is similarly the peak nursing organization in China (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). Both the organizations are responsible for establishing the nursing syllabus and curriculum, maintaining nursing standards of profession and providing instructions and training for the nurses (Klopper & Uys, 2003). Current System of Nursing Education: Comparison of China and Kenya The Current System of Nursing Education in both china and Kenya occur in various cadres. Both China and Kenya have certification programs for nursing, in form of 3-years comprehensive training, which caters for the preliminary training, ward rotation and theory in clinical training (Ndirangu, 1982). The comparison in both countries is that; the qualification for nursing certification program is the completion of secondary education. The characteristic of the current systems of nursing education in both countries is that; both countries have established post-basic nursing qualifications, which include diplomas, bachelor of nursing degree, and masters in nursing. The comparison is that the doctorate program in nursing is yet to be fully commissioned in both countries, following the governments’ regulations that have not yet approved the doctorate in nursing (Mule, 1986). All the post-basic nursing qualifications programs are undertaken in hospital-based training institutions, where the trainees in this profession are full-time based course attendants (Chan & Wong, 1999). Hospital-based schools form the basis of training nurses in both countries, with the Chinese nursing system of education starting at either the junior or the senior high school levels (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). A notable trend in both China and Kenya is the growing number of the persons enrolling for the nursing programs over the years, as well as the reduced dropouts, due to the strict control of this profession by both the respective government and the Nursing Organizations. Post-Graduate (Masters) Education: Comparison of China and Kenya The enrollment to Post-Graduate (Masters) Nursing Education has shown a growing trend, despite the fact that the qualification standards by both countries for such programs are set high. In both countries, for an individual to qualify for Post-Graduate (Masters) Nursing Education, they must have best grades at the bachelor’s degree level (Chan & Wong, 1999). The other aspect that is essential is that, the candidates for Post-Graduate (Masters) Nursing Education must have undertaken a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, as opposed to other masters and post graduate programs, where an individual can qualify for a post graduate program in a given field, having graduated from a totally different area of profession at the bachelor degree level. Finally, in both countries, while the Post-Graduate (Masters) Education for other professions may be undertaken on a part-time basis, the Post-Graduate (Masters) Nursing Education in both Kenya and China must be undertaken on a fulltime basis, within a hospital-based institution (Xu, Xu & Zhang, 2000). Reflections on Nursing Education in China and Kenya Surprisingly, Nursing Education in both China and Kenya bears universal fundamental characteristics, in terms of government and Nursing organizations control, training and growth, notwithstanding that the nursing profession in both countries is a function of the western missionary arrival into the countries. Additionally, the high standards of qualifications are also eminent requirements in this profession for both countries, while the training period for the nurses and the areas of training are similar. References Chan, S. & Wong, F. (1999) Development of Basic Nursing Education in The People's Republic of China and Hong Kong. Journal of Advanced Nursing 29(6), 1300-1307. Chen. K. (1996) Missionaries and the Early Development of Nursing in The People's Republic of China. Nursing History Review 4, 129-149. Klopper, H. & Uys, L. R. (2013). The state of nursing and nursing education in Africa: A country-by-country review. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International. Mule, G.K. (1986). Nursing education in Kenya: Trends and innovations. International Nursing Review, 33(3), 83-86. Ndirangu, S. (1982). A history of nursing in Kenya. Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau. Xu, Y., Xu, Z., & Zhang, J. (2000). The nursing education system in the People’s Republic of China: Evolution, structure and reform. International Nursing Review, 47(4), 207-217. Read More