China Nursing Education Requirements
- There are three major nursing degrees offered in China and a doctoral program is under development.nurse chris image by John Keith from Fotolia.com
Nursing education in China requires a longer course of study than nursing programs in the United States. Depending on the level of certification a student seeks, it can take three to eight years to graduate from nursing school. Chinese programs emphasize practical study and clinical application. The main types of nursing education sought by students are zhuanke, baccalaureate and graduate degrees. The first doctoral program in nursing is in development at Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences. - The zhuanke program is offered through health schools and is the most common route for nursing certification. This level of nursing education is comparable to American associate's degree nursing program. It is a three-year program that recruits students after completion of a junior high curriculum. Because students are younger than typical American nursing students, China's programs require more general education to continue high school level education. Major emphasis is placed in the areas of internal nursing, surgical nursing and foundations of nursing. Students must pass the State Nurses Registration Examination in order to qualify for work in the nursing field.
- Baccalaureate programs are available to senior high school graduates and require four to five years of course study. Degree-level nursing education was eliminated from China for 30 years, so most of the courses are taught by licensed physicians rather than certified nurses. In addition to general education requirements and electives, students are expected to complete course work in the fields of internal nursing, surgical nursing, foundations of nursing and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Students learn acupuncture, dietary therapy and psychosocial skills to gain a holistic view in the treatment of patients. Additional emphasis is placed on problem-based learning, in which graduates must be able to identify the health needs of clients and demonstrate professional knowledge.
- Graduate nursing programs in China are similar to master's degree programs in the United States. These are three-year programs that recruit nurses who have successfully completed the five-year baccalaureate training program. Entry into these programs is highly competitive; students are recruited through national examinations. The degree requires a rigorous course of study in all areas of nursing and implements some courses derived from Western nursing programs, such as nursing theory and nursing ethics. The masters program relies heavily upon clinical teaching and learning as a way to educate students and give them practice in the field. The last year requires a 26-week clinical practicum in which students are required to demonstrate their skills in diagnosing a patient's needs and potential needs.
