Comparison of Iran’s nursing education with developed and developing countries: a review on descriptive-comparative studies

Abstract

Background: Iran’s nursing education has undergone significant modifications in the last decades, especially following the Islamic revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. This review outlined changing trends in Iran’s nursing education and evaluate its status compared to other developing and developed countries. Methods: Six international and two national electronic data sources were searched up to May 2021, using relevant keywords and terms. The studies were included if they addressed history, development, or evolutionary aspects of Iran’s nursing education or evaluated its status by comparing it with developing or developed countries, using Bereday's model. To obtain more relevant information, the organizational documents of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Higher Education were searched. Of 753 evidence found in the initial search, 73 were considered eligible for this review. A systematic and unbiased data synthesis was performed and a narrative and tabulated summary was presented. Results: The evolution in Iran’s nursing education has resulted in the establishment of Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. programs. Iran’s nursing education system plays an important role in fulfilling the healthcare system’s mission, and it does not hold a dissatisfactory position in comparison with other developed and developing countries. However, this system is expected to be more versatile for the upcoming changes and advancements. Conclusion: Iran’s nursing education has a moderate rating despite recent changes. Hence, this system has to be modified in some aspects by adopting experiences of other countries, with an appropriate and successful education system, to prepare future highly competent nurses.