Today's nursing education in the People's Republic of China.

This article describes the history of nursing education in China and focuses mainly on its future, its role, its characteristics, and the job of nursing educators. According to the Chinese Nursing Association, in 1999 there were 67 university nursing schools, 35 college nursing schools, 500 secondary nursing schools, and master's degree programs in 15 universities. Continuing nursing education, life-long learning, has swept over the whole country as a result of an increased pace of a reform drive. Nursing education faces formidable challenges in helping students develop the competencies needed to survive the changing system's care. The struggles and realities of the changes are discussed, and how they affected and influenced the nursing system that is entering a new era.