Master's and doctoral degrees in nursing in Brazil: an ecological study

Area of Science:

• Public Health and Nursing Education
• Higher Education Trends in Brazil

Background:

• Understanding the evolution of nursing postgraduate programs is crucial for workforce development.
• Previous analyses have not fully captured the temporal and spatial dynamics of nursing master's and doctoral degrees in Brazil.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the temporal trends and spatial distribution of nursing master's and doctoral degrees awarded in Brazil.
• To identify regional disparities in the growth of advanced nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Ecological study utilizing data from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).
• Descriptive statistics and Joinpoint regression were employed for temporal trend analysis.
• Spatial distribution was analyzed across Brazilian regions.

Main Results:

• A total of 22,923 nursing degrees (74.92% master's, 25.08% doctoral) were awarded between 2004 and 2023.
• The Southeast, Northeast, and South regions showed the highest concentration of degrees.
• Both master's and doctoral degrees exhibited significant upward temporal trends nationwide, with notable regional variations, particularly in the North and Midwest.
• The North region reported no doctoral degrees during the study period.

Conclusions:

• Postgraduate nursing education in Brazil is experiencing growth, but with significant regional inequalities.
• There is a clear need for strategies to expand and decentralize postgraduate nursing programs.
• Addressing these disparities is essential for equitable advanced training in the nursing field.