CLINICAL RESEARCH AS A CURRICULAR UNIT IN PORTUGUESE NURSING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: CURRENT SITUATION AND CHALLENGES

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.558552526028

• Palavras-chave: Nursing; Clinical Nursing Research; Nursing Research; Educational Institutions; Professional Competence

• Keywords: Nursing; Clinical Nursing Research; Nursing Research; Educational Institutions; Professional Competence

• Abstract:

  Clinical research is fundamental to the development of science. The aim of the research carried out was to analyze the study plans of Portuguese higher education institutions of Nursing Degree courses regarding the presence of mandatory and/or optional theoretical curricular units on clinical research, using the General Directorate of Higher Education as the primary source for data collection. The data was collected between December 1 and 20, 2024, from 39 identified institutions, and a detailed analysis of each syllabus was carried out. The study was of a descriptive observational documentary nature, with no direct manipulation of variables. The data was collected in an Excel database and treated statistically in a descriptive manner. The results point to a need to revise the curriculum of study plans with regard to clinical research, in order to ensure that future nurses are trained in this area right from their basic training. This improvement in curricular aspects could contribute not only to improving the academic training of students, but also to improving the provision of nursing care to patients and, consequently, to enriching the health system as a whole.