ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES IN NURSING TECHNICAL EDUCATION

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the scientific evidence on advances and challenges in the training of nursing technicians. As a methodology, it used the Integrative Literature Review. The search was carried out in the databases of Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Database of Nursing (BDENF), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Web of Science (WOS), SCOPUS and Embase. The descriptors controlled by Descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings Section (MeSH) and their entry terms, in Portuguese and English, were used: ‘Nursing Technicians’, ‘Nursing Assistants’, ‘Technical Education in Nursing’, ‘Nursing’, ‘Teaching’, ‘Training’. The selection of articles was presented according to the PRISMA flowchart. Of the 1.505 articles identified, 10 were selected for analysis. Most of the articles analyzed (n=9) were published in Brazil, in the last ten years, in Portuguese, English and Spanish and presented a low level of scientific evidence (Evidence Level VI – single descriptive or qualitative studies). The results highlighted advances and challenges related to the categories of analysis: innovative teaching strategies, search for comprehensive training and institutional management. Studies have shown that efforts have been made to adopt new teaching-learning strategies, with a view to training a more active and participatory health professional with a comprehensive and humanized approach to care. For this, institutional support is an essential condition. Challenges need to be overcome, highlighting the integration of theory with practice, teacher training, as well as improvement in teaching work conditions.