Analysis of professors’ perceptions about the Escola Paulista de Enfermagem curriculum

Abstract

Objective: To identify the process of change in nursing education at Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, exposing teaching, management and pedagogical practices experiences. Methods: This is a qualitative study, from the historical-social perspective, using the Thematic Oral History method. We assessed six undergraduate nursing professors at Escola Paulista de Enfermagem (EPE). Results: The results demonstrate professors’ perceptions, which are described in categories related to the school curriculum used in the undergraduate nursing course capable of contemplating the integration of knowledge and practices present in the work routine. The curriculum cannot be understood as a simple document for describing isolated and fragmented school subjects, disconnected from professional nursing practice. Thematic content analysis was performed, resulting in three categories. Conclusion: Perceptions about curriculum organization and structure allowed us to show how political, social, economic and cultural changes in the country were able to influence the teaching process of undergraduate nursing course between 1980 and 2010. EPE took over a social role with nursing education, using the curriculum to disseminate knowledge and delimit the school’s education profile.