O ensino da cancerologia nos cursos de graduação em enfermagem: por que e para quê?

Abstract

The present study was developed wíth the objective of updating data related to oncology content taught at the undergraduate nursing schools, offering some background to discuss curriculum changes at these schools. In Brazil, there are 96 nursing schools and sixty of them were surveyed, 55 refered teaching oncology content in theirprogram. Analysis of the results showed that the content is concentrated in Medical-Surgical Nursing discipline, the allocation of time for both theory and practice varies a lot, and that the content is delivered in an ísolated format. In most schools, oncology content is taught at the 2nd and 3rd years. The authors consider that the epidemiological profile of cancer in Brazil, as well as the deficiencies foundat the undergraduate teaching of oncology content, point to a reevaluation of human resources development in nursing, improving nurses' ability to care for cancer patients and to participate in control programs.