Background:

Since the beginning of the 21st century, fertility rates have decreased and life expectancy has increased, with more people with disabilities and dependent on others requiring more specialized nursing care.

Objective:

To describe the evolution of education/training in rehabilitation nursing.

Methodology:

Documental search conducted in the Portuguese official journal (Diário da República), with hermeneutic analysis and interpretation of the sources on the specialty of rehabilitation nursing since 2006.

Results:

Several curricula of postgraduate specialization and master’s degrees in rehabilitation nursing have been approved since 2006. Several course units were gradually integrated into the curricula, such as Statistical Epidemiology and Demography, Psychosocial Aspects of Disability, Health Care Policies and Models, and Internships in Rehabilitation Nursing Care for People with Cancer and at the End of Life.

Conclusion:

Education/training in rehabilitation nursing evolved under the influence of political and socio-demographic changes. With the technological and scientific advances and the evolution of health systems, rehabilitation nursing care has evolved in terms of innovation and education/training within a legal framework and based on specific competencies.

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