Undergraduate Occupational Health Nursing Education in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico

Abstract

Background: Occupational health nursing plays a fundamental role in addressing the health of the working population; however, training in this area differs around the world in terms of levels, duration, content, and requirements, and the current situation in Latin American countries is unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze undergraduate nursing education in occupational health from an international perspective considering Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, descriptive study, based on bibliographic methodology, whose sample was documentary, consulting government databases in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. Findings: Heterogeneity was identified within the training in the countries analyzed, with a small number of courses in the course structures; in most cases, the courses were taught in the last years of training and predominantly as elective courses. Conclusions: The authors recommend that training centers develop programs associated with occupational nursing, which is considered an imperative to strengthen public health in developing countries and an ethical and equitable response to the working population.