صفورا یغمایی

Nursing education in various fields, including psychiatric nursing as a part of the higher education system is developing rapidly in recent decades in the world and also in Iran. Comparing the curriculum of Iranian psychiatric nursing with the curriculum of leading countries can be useful in understanding its strengths and weaknesses and providing solutions for its improvement. This study aimed to compare the curriculum of the psychiatric nursing masterchr('39')s degree program in Iran and Wayne, USA.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2020 at Semnan University of Medical Sciences using Bereday four-stages including description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison.

The comparison of the masterchr('39')s degree program in mental health in both environments has similarities and differences. Admission of students to the masterchr('39')s degree in psychiatric nursing in Iran is criterion-based and in the United States is normative. In none of the universities hasn’t defined specific field of study goals. Studying for a masterchr('39')s degree in mental health in Iran is free of charge and face to face and in the United States is by paying tuition in both In-person training and part-time with a suitable platform for virtual and evidence-based education.

Due to the growing needs of patients with mental disorders, increase in the incidence of these disorders in the current society, the complex nature of mental health interventions and the needs and expectations of students, there is a need to review and improve the conditions of student admission, defining the real position and role of graduates, explaining the specific objectives of the field, reviewing the teaching methods and introducing new teaching methods.

Nursing students experience a lot of stress during their education, which is associated with psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, stress, and depression. The aim of this study was to examine depression, anxiety, stress, and associated factors among undergraduate nursing students in Hamadan Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. In this cross-sectional study, 342 undergraduate nursing students from Hamedan University of Medical Sciences were selected with the Census sampling method, during year 2017. The data collection tool was a questionnaire of 21 questions for measuring stress, anxiety and depression, and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software and descriptive and inferential statistics. The sample consisted of 165 (48.2%) male and 177 (51.8%) female students. The mean (SD) age was 21.77 ± 3.11 years. Overall, 52 (15.2%) students of the first semester and 220 (64.3%) were residents of the dormitory. The findings showed that the mean and standard deviation of students' scores in the dimensions of stress, anxiety, and depression were, respectively, 8.39 ± 6.27, 4.99 ± 5.24, and 5.39 ± 6.22. In other words, 21.9% of the respondents reported mild to extremely severe symptoms of depression, 16.1% stress, and 28.7% anxiety. Also, there was no significant relationship between the scores of psychological symptoms and age, educational term, and dwelling place, yet there was a significant relationship between the level of anxiety and gender; the level of anxiety in females was higher than that of males, and there was no significant relationship between stress and depression, and gender. Depression, anxiety, and stress are highly prevalent among undergraduate nursing students. Planning for the promotion of mental health with the aim of prevention and timely therapeutic interventions in nursing students' education is essential.