A comparative study the Critical Care Nursing MSc curriculum in Iran and the University of Wolverhampton, England

Objectives: In the health service system, nurses with specialized skills and up-to-date knowledge in providing cost-effective and quality services are essential components of the care team. The knowledge and skills of clinical specialist nurses are influential in the quality of care that patients receive, and this makes them vital members of the health service system. In order to make optimal use of the funds available in the country, educational systems must have detailed plans in the field of training specialized human resources, which will provide the development, progress, prosperity and scientific and cultural authority of the society. The existence of evaluation in the educational program is one of the most important ways to improve the field. Conducting comparative studies by identifying the weak and strong points is an effective method. The present study was conducted with the aim of conducting a comparative study of the special care nursing master's program in Iran and the University of Wolverhampton, England. Materials and methods: In this descriptive-comparative study in 1401, information related to the master's degree program in critical care nursing was searched using the keywords of comparative study, curriculum, master's degree, critical care nursing, Iran, University of Wolverhampton, England. The information was analyzed using the Bereday model in four stages: description, interpretation, juxtaposition and comparison. Findings: The obtained results showed that the University of Wolverhampton, England offers a master's degree in intensive care nursing in 3 years and on a part-time basis. This course is offered full-time in Iran. Due to the important and significant role of evidence-based practice, 60 credits of the total course credits in the University of England are dedicated to the thesis, which is a significant difference compared to the country of Iran, where the thesis has 4 credits. In both universities, in order to enter the course, clinical work experience is important and is one of the requirements for admission to the course. In the University of Wolverhampton, the mission, vision and values ​​of the course have not been addressed, which is one of its weak points, and it is contrary to the country of Iran, which is fully defined and documented. The job status of people after graduation is not clear in Iran, but it is defined and unambiguous in the University of Wolverhampton. Conclusion: The master's program in special care nursing in Iran is being successfully implemented by the universities. As a result of such things as determining the job status of graduates, changing the course to part-time, paying more attention to conducting research, producing knowledge and using the knowledge obtained in the clinical care environment can increase the motivation of applicants to study and provide services to critically ill patients by nurses.