Background:

The education/training of specialists in Rehabilitation Nursing has undergone successive transformations under the influence of different contexts.

Objectives:

To describe the evolution of the education/training of rehabilitation nurses in Portugal, considering changes in the content of study plans.

Methodology:

Documentary collection in the Portuguese Official Journal (Diário da República), with hermeneutic analysis and interpretation of the sources with reference to the specialty of rehabilitation nursing, published between 1963 and 2005.

Results:

In 1963, the Ministry of Overseas referred to the need of including rehabilitation nurses. The study plan contents of the specialty changed until they consolidated in the Portuguese higher education in 2002.

Conclusion:

Study plans are greatly influenced by the growing complexity of health services and how the society views the profession. The need to promote the readaptation of people with disabilities has also shaped education/training over the years.

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