The nursing education system in the People's Republic of China: evolution, structure and reform.

This article provides a comprehensive account of the nursing education system in the People's Republic of China within its historical, economic and sociopolitical contexts. The article argues that the Western world, the United States in particular, had a profound impact on the early development of nursing education in China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that nursing education in China has been heavily influenced by medical education in terms of structure, curriculum and faculty training, and that challenges are enormous for Chinese nursing education to meet international standards of nursing education. Comparisons of nursing education systems between China and the United States are made when appropriate and possible. Recent developments and reforms in Chinese nursing education are also described and assessed.