ENSINO DE ENFERMAGEM EM PORTUGAL: CONTRIBUTOS PARA A SUA HISTÓRIA

This article focuses on nursing teaching in Portugal. The objective is to identify the landmarks in its evolution until the end of the 21th century. Nursing profession in Portugal was originally related to the medical activity and was mostly practiced in a hospital setting. During the most part of the 20th century, nursing was treated as an occupation of devoted and submissive women, with basic education, whose only role was to help doctors with patient care. After the Carnation Revolution, in 1974, the nursing profession was taught in three levels and students should have reached a higher education level to attend the nursing course, because these professionals should be prepared to participate in the country’s planning. The creation of the Nursing Board conferred an autonomous status to this profession. Another decisive step toward nursing’s independence was taken in 1999 when nursing began to be taught at a graduate level.