PhD programs in nursing in Iran and Canada: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Comparative Education

Background:

• Doctoral nursing programs are crucial for advancing the profession.
• Understanding international curriculum differences can inform educational reforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the fundamental elements and approaches of doctoral nursing programs in Iran and Canada.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study utilizing Beredy's model was conducted in Iran.
• Document analysis involved assessing validity, importance, accuracy, and core content.
• Methods included description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were identified in the core curriculum elements of Iranian and Canadian doctoral nursing programs.
• Variations were observed in mission, vision, aims, objectives, and graduate roles and tasks.
• Discrepancies were also noted in academic units, comprehensive examinations, and research coursework.

Conclusions:

• Canadian doctoral nursing programs adopt competency-based, community-based, task-based, and student-centered approaches.
• These progressive pedagogical strategies were found to be largely overlooked in the Iranian nursing curriculum.