Overview of the supply of programs in secondary vocational Nursing education: competing interests

The large number of nursing assistants and nursing technicians has an impact on health care. Our study seeks to analyze data regarding the supply of vocational nursing programs in Brazil from 2018 to 2022: the number of schools, their categorization as public or private, the number of programs, the enrollments, and their kinds. Microdata from the School Census of the Anísio Teixeira National Institute of Educational Studies and Research (INEP) were used. In 2022, 1,855 schools offered these programs, 80% of which were private. In the public sector, the State supply prevailed. However, in 2018, it accounted for only 19.5% of the supply. In 2018, 40 schools were Federal (2.4%), as compared to 35 schools (1.9%) in 2022. The total number of programs was 2,568, with an increase in enrollments from 304,528 in 2018 to 359,034 in 2022. The 2019 figure was seven times larger than the second best in the environment & health segment. In 2019, 87% of enrollments were in private schools. The subsequent enrollment kind prevailed. There is a discrepancy between the predominance of private supply of programs and the vocational education sufficient for SUS. Our study reinforces the need for a public policy in vocational health education, including nursing, in the constant struggle for crucial changes.