Changes in Clinical Nursing Education Programs in Iran: An Inevitable Necessity

Background Objective: Although residency courses in Iran have witnessed positive developments, there are still some challenges, necessitating further evaluations of these courses. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the current problems and offer solutions for the obstacles to the related sciences course.Methods: The current qualitative study was carried out in the School Dentistry of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 20132014, with a focus on content analysis. The participants consisted of postgraduate students selected using purposeful sampling technique. Data were collected through observation and interviews, and then, coded and assigned to predetermined categories.Results: Data gave rise to the emergence of several concepts that can be used to depict the learning and teaching experiences of the related sciences course by postgraduate dental students. These concepts included the nature of interdisciplinary clinical learning, interdisciplinary education and exchange of ideas, group discussions and familiarity with new therapeutic modalities, being a member of the dental team, team work spirit, stress and anxiety resulting from the program, suitable tutorstudent relationship, differences in interdisciplinary backgrounds and learning sources, conversions of potential abilities to full capabilities, interesting aspects of clinical experience along with theoretical knowledge, contradictions and similarities between practical activities and learning, and dependence.Conclusion: Although the duration of each residency course appears to be sufficient, it is of great importance to establish more communication between different dental specialties from theoretical and practical aspects to make the dental specialty course graduates more efficient.