Informatics teaching in undergraduate nursing programs at Brazilian public institutions

This descriptive study aimed to verify the inclusion of subjects about informatics in undergraduate nursing programs at Brazilian (state and federal) public education institutions. The programs were located through the e-MEC system. The Internet was used to search for the curricula of the campuses offering the nursing program and identify subjects related to informatics. Eighty-one higher education institutions and 123 campuses were located. Only 100 campuses provided the curriculum on the Internet, 35 of which offered the subject. The highest proportion occurred in the Northeast (46.1%) and the lowest in the North (8.6%). The subject is mostly offered as an elective discipline (57%) in the first and second year (80%), with an average workload of 47 classroom hours. The low supply of this undergraduate subject goes against job market trends and the National Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Nursing Programs.