A brief history of psychiatric nursing teaching in Brazil

Psychiatric nursing and mental health teaching in relation to Brazilian curriculum

“…A brief history of psychiatric nursing teaching in Brazil (13) To present a synthesis about psychiatric nursing and mental health teaching in Brazil.…”

“…Published in 1996, the article 'Pesquisa em enfermagem e o positivismo' (40) reports that the influence of positivist thinking in nursing has existed since the beginnings of modern nursing. According to the author, Florence Nightingale motivations, being faith and religion, converged with positivist thinking, by making feasible the construction of a nursing that walks towards progress, as a science of care (13) .…”

“…It is observed that the emergence of the aforementioned school represents the first institutionalization framework of nursing education in Brazil. Parallel to this consideration, studies believe that this teaching was established under the influence of American nursing, receiving a conformation that descends of the model constructed by Florence Nightingale, in 21 st century (10,(12)(13)28,37) .…”

“…At the time, education was based on political and economic interests, considering the United States' claim to establish as authority and reference over other countries. American nurses were sent to Brazil in order to train new nurses and reports drawn up by the latter that there were, from a foreign point of view, great gaps and difficulties in the selection of those who would be responsible for care (12)(13) . Thus, modern nursing was instituted within a model of thought strongly influenced by positivist ideals, constituting as a new science.…”

“…As far as the profile or expected competences of the student, from 1930 the contents deal with clinical aspects of the mental illness with a biologicist practice of hospital performance (13,30) . The teaching of pathologies and syndromes was given by the psychiatrist (29) .…”