[Educational technology in nursing: the conceptual framework and the experience of the Latin American centers]

In the first part of the article the assertion is made that educational corpus of technology should not be regarded as something apart, but as a corpus of teaching methods, techniques and resources rationally organized to solve problems of material and conceptual situations and processes. Several educational technologies are explained on the basis of their underlying theoretical frameworks, and grass-root educational technology is advocated because, while it does not emphasize efficiency, it is capable of inducing innovations that are effective in that they actually accomplish changes. The second part reviews the results of the Latin American Program for Educational Technology in Nursing, which PAHO conducts through a network of centers in the nursing schools of several countries. The purpose of the Program is to disseminate modern educational technology and to endeavor to harmonize nurse training with demands and trends in the delivery of health services.