Developing basic educational standards for educational resources for master's degree program in nursing neonatal intensive care': Report of a Delphi study

Using the adequate and standardized educational facilities and spaces can ensure effective educational program. The purpose of the current study was developing basic educational standards for master's degree program in 'nursing neonatal intensive care'.
This study is a descriptive study used Delphi approach to conduct with the participation of 40 experts in nursing neonatal intensive care from all over Iran in 2014. The study population consisted of neonatologists and medical professionals, administrators of educational department, faculties of pediatrics department, head nurses of neonatal intensive care unit, students and graduates of course in nursing neonatal intensive care were selected purposively. Firstly, the educational standards (24 items) were gathered with extensive review and secondly, experts commented to questionnaire in three rounds. The first and second rounds were performed in a meeting with participation of 20 experts from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and the third round was performance through sending emails to 40 experts from all over Iran.
In the third round, 10 basic education standards for students of master's degree program in 'nursing neonatal intensive care' unit have been agreed. The standards included theoretical training classes, equipped center for clinical skills, educational workshops, evidence-based learning environment, sufficient number of beds for neonatal intensive care unit, specialized books/ study hall school and hospital, wireless Internet, shared databases, and research approved process.
These findings can be used to evaluate the educational resources in schools, which had courses of sciences degrees and it can be a good pattern for the standardization of other majors.