A Contemporary Comparison Between the Higher National and the State Registered Nursing Diploma Curricula in Cameroon

The expectation of competency for both local and international without further education increases the complexity of nursing curriculum design. Institutions must regularly compare their curricula with existing global standards to ensure alignment. In Cameroon, the existence of two professional entry diploma programmes – the Higher National Diploma (HND) and State Registered Nursing (SRN) diploma, supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education (MHE) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), respectively – has created tension and conflict within the profession. For example, the Ministry of Health-aligned professional association rejects graduates with the HND on grounds of competence even though there has been no scientific comparison of the two curricula. This study aimed to compare the HND and SRN curricula to provide an initial evidence base and inform the debate on both programmes. The study design employs a descriptive comparative design, based on Bereday’s four-step process and the SPICES curriculum comparison models to compare the curricula of the 3-year SRN Diploma and the 3-year HND in Nursing in Cameroon. The results show that the curricula show evidence of an incomplete curriculum development process, with both lacking vision and mission statements, programme philosophy and curriculum framework. When programme aims are compared, the SRN programme emphasizes meeting health needs, using scientific methods and supervising training of allied professions, while the HND programme highlights job readiness, critical thinking and capacity for team and independent practice. The HND programme uses a credit system with 90% of courses being elective and total programme hours being 4140. The SRN programme uses a modular system with courses spread over 10 domains with total hours being 5100. However, both curricula are primarily subject-based. Both programmes are at stage 1 for student-based approaches and electives, and at stage 3 for problem-based approaches, integration, community-based learning outcomes and systematic content. The study reveals a truncated process of curriculum development for two national nursing programmes that leaves out key components of the curriculum. The curriculum documents also do not show any core differences that make one programme significantly better than the other.