Assessment of AACN baccalaureate nursing education curriculum model in the People's Republic of China: A transcultural exploratory study

This study examines the relevance of The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1998) to baccalaureate nursing curriculum development in the People's Republic of China. A Likert-type survey was developed to measure Chinese nurse educators' perceptions regarding the 21 key concepts extracted from The Essentials document in both the present curriculum and an ideal curriculum across three dimensions: importance, cultural relevance, and extent of exposure. Surveys were sent to all known baccalaureate nursing programs in China (N = 22) with a 50 percent return rate. Descriptive statistical analyses supported the universality of the majority of the 21 key concepts from The Essentials document. Some of the concepts, however, were not as readily transferable because of differences in the Chinese sociopolitical and cultural contexts for baccalaureate nursing education. Findings from this study lend support for the potential global relevance of The Essentials document. Additional transcultural and comparative studies are recommended to further test the relevance of The Essentials document in other cultures. Meanwhile, international nurse educators need to be aware of the possible limits of adopting The Essentials document without values clarification, critical discrimination, and adaptation to their home cultures. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.