Nursing Education in Saudi Arabia: Curriculum Analysis and Critique

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the nursing curriculum in Saudi Arabia. It begins with an introduction to the curriculum's core components, including the integration of physical and behavioral sciences, nursing philosophy, and the nursing process. The essay then critiques the current state of nursing education in Saudi Arabia, highlighting challenges such as shortages of healthcare providers, shifts in disease trends, and underutilized online health strategies. It emphasizes the need for public health education integration into the curriculum to address the needs of the rising demographics and technological advancements in the healthcare sector. The essay recommends a comprehensive curriculum that prepares nurses for public health competencies, particularly in managing chronic diseases, and supports the development of skills in assessment, disease prevention, and scientific education. The goal is to enhance the well-being of the Saudi population and the nursing profession through evidence-based practices and public health initiatives.

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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The nursing curriculum is intended to provide students with a skills base in the physical
and behavioral sciences, arts, and nursing philosophy. Students also hear about the wellbeing and
wellness promotion of patients / clients and their communities. A problem-solving technique,
commonly referred to as the nursing method, is being taught in the curriculum. The nursing
curriculum contains a systematic five-step methodology used to improve the capacity of students
to make important nursing decisions. The process involves the assessment of patients, the design
of nursing diagnostics, the creation of a nursing care plan, the execution of the strategy and,
ultimately, the evaluation of nursing interventions. Furthermore, the curriculum also contains
evidence based materials that will increase their knowledge, skill, expertise and lead to an
effective outcome (Baron, 2017).
Critique and analysis
While the Government of Saudi Arabia prioritized health services growth, it faces a
range of challenges as the shortages of health providers from Saudi Arabia, shifts in the disease
trend, high demand for free care, lack of the National health information system and the capacity
of online health strategies remain underutilized. The nursing career and education must fulfill the
needs for rising demographics and technologies in the health sector with the accelerated growth
of Saudi Arabia, in particular in the healthcare sector.
Public health nurses are essential resources to supporting and preserving the safety of
communities through teaching, public and social policy skills. The nursing specialization in
Saudi Arabia needs the integration into the nursing curriculum of public health education and
associated skills. Saudi’s public health nurse in future will be able to tackle health and disease

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determinants that are important to a culturally distinct population. In Saudi Arabia there are two
forms of nursing programs. These are funded by the Health Institutes of the Ministry of Health
for both male and female secondary school students and by the University Baccalaureate Nursing
Program, currently limited to women (Colet et al., 2015).
Recommendation
Modernizing professions in the area of health care includes the advancement of
knowledge in public health and associated skillsPublic health expertise, particularly those living
with chronic illnesses, is of great significance to the public health agenda of the 21st century.
The Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia has continuously emphasized the importance of nursing
and is also dealing with the challenge of ensuring public safety and planning for the development
of nursing curricula. A comprehensive curricular curriculum is required to include Saudi Arabia's
public-health nursing education that prepares nurses for public-health competences relevant to
chronic diseases and the position of the global health workforce of the twenty-first century. The
safety and well-being of the people of Saudi Arabia and the neighboring countries will constitute
a major component of the curriculum and will allow students to do the following: (1) undertake
requirements evaluation for the facilities that are available; (2) the detection and preventing of
hereditary, social and environmental determinants of diseases; and (3) the expertise in scientific
education, prevention and research. The public health program in nursing education will include
the sciences and practices that support public health for this specific community and offer
advantages to the professional nursing profession and the Saudi population (Jradi, Zaidan & Al
Shehri, 2013).

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References
Baron, K. A. (2017). Changing to concept-based curricula: The process for nurse educators. The
open nursing journal, 11, 277.
Colet, P. C., Cruz, J. P., Cruz, C. P., Al-Otaibi, J., Qubeilat, H., & Alquwez, N. (2015). Patient
safety competence of nursing students in Saudi Arabia: a self-reported
survey. International journal of health sciences, 9(4), 418.
Jradi, H., Zaidan, A., & Al Shehri, A. M. (2013). Public health nursing education in Saudi
Arabia. Journal of infection and public health, 6(2), 63-68.