Reform in higher education for nurses: comparative comments from Canada

This article compares the move of basic nursing education in Australia into the university sector with the status of higher education for nursing in Canada. The influence of nursing unions and nursing associations in nursing education, and the role of human resource planning and development in nursing are addressed. Four major issues confronting university-based education are explored: essential qualities of nursing education, content versus process curricula, transition of faculty into academia, and relationships with other disciplines, especially medicine.