Abstract: Objective: To systematically compare the similarities and differences of the undergraduate textbook of Geriatric Nursing between China and the United States. Methods: Two textbooks of Geriatric Nursing in China and the United States were selected. A comparative framework was developed based on the literature review and expert consultations, and a comprehensive and in-depth comparison was carried out based on the pre-determined framework. Results: There were similarities in philosophy, structures and contents between the two textbooks. For example, both of the two books were guided by holistic nursing and they both follow the logic arrangement of contents from population aging to individual aging, from general to specialist, from physiology, psychology, environment to society, and from illness to dying. The difference was that Chinese textbook was with clear and measurable learning objectives while American textbook emphasized more on cultivation of humanities ability and introduction of the updated research findings. Conclusion: Geriatric Nursing textbooks in China and the United States have their own advantages, and the textbook in American can be used as reference. It is suggested that Geriatric Nursing textbooks in China could adjust the structure, use units sharing cases, promote intelligent teaching, enrich the content elements of localization and humanistic care, improve the presentation, and update writing ideas in time to further improve the textbook while maintaining its own advantages. This study is of great significance to discipline development and further promoting the process of active aging in China.

Key words: geriatric nursing; textbook construction; comparative study