Scenario of distance higher education in health in Brazil: the situation of Nursing^a

Abstract

Objective  To analyze the offer of undergraduate health courses in the Distance Learning modality in Brazil, highlighting its main characteristics for Nursing.

Method  This is a cross-sectional study based on distance health undergraduate courses online data, created between 2005 and 2020. For twelve health degrees, characteristics of the creation and distribution of distance learning were highlighted, emphasizing Nursing courses. Statistical significance tests (α = 5%) and mapping were performed.

Results  There were 43 undergraduate courses in health, most of which were created between 2017 and 2020 (≥61.4%). For Nursing, most courses were created in earlier years (2013 and 2016; 72.7%) (p = 0.001). The courses were linked to private institutions, which offered 82,000 seats and are distributed in 1,363 hubs across all states. Courses predominated in São Paulo (23.9%) and non-capital cities (64.3%) (p = 0.001).

Conclusion and implications for the practice  There has been a significant increase in distance education in Brazil's undergraduate health courses. For Nursing, the courses were characterized by private offers located in non-capital cities. However, the regional distribution is still uneven, concentrating hubs in the country's richest and most central regions and away from areas with the greatest health needs.

Keywords:  Health; Nursing; Nursing Education; College Education; Distance Learning