[Perspectives on nursing education, licensing examinations and professional core competence in Taiwan in the context of globalization].

There are today some 130,000 nurses in Taiwan, practicing in different specialties and in various capacities and positions. Good nurses are society's "guardian angels of health" who provide protection and safe healthcare for the people. Improving nursing education quality and ensuring nurse competency by licensure examination are essential to both helping nurses realize the full potential of their role and earning recognition for Taiwan healthcare as positive contributors to the global community of nations. Three themes were explored in this paper, including: (1) Issues and problems with the current nursing education, license examination and nursing education quality monitoring systems in Taiwan; (2) Comparing Taiwan's situation with that in certain other countries; and (3) Recommending changes ÷ revisions in Taiwan's nursing educational system and license examinations based on comparative findings. In order to plug into the rapid pace of globalization, Taiwan should upgrade and limit its pre-licensure nursing programs at the bachelor level. Also, nursing education quality should be continuously improved through peer-review.