Comparison of RN licensure examination: China and the United States

Having the two largest nursing workforces across the globe, both China and the United States have implemented licensure examinations to standardize the qualifications of registered nurse. China established the National Nursing Licensure Examination (NNLE) in 1995. Like the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in the United States, the NNLE has become an important link in the nurse registration process and contributed a lot in quality assurance and development of nursing profession. It may be necessary for the NNLE to learn from NCLEX-RN in several aspects, including increasing the frequency of exam, providing examinees with individualized services, and continuing reforming exam content and format. By better aligning the content and format of the examination with the current nursing paradigm and clinical requirements, nurses may enter the healthcare field better prepared to care for patients. Considering the magnitude of their nursing workforce, both China and the United States have great potential to serve as a role model for other developing countries as they look towards establishing national nursing education programs. As new policies around standardized nurse education in China take form, we urge that the NNLE be included alongside curricular reforms. As these reforms are implemented, continued research will be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and licensure exam regulations upon nurse preparedness and quality of nursing care in China.