CICAD Schools of Nursing Project on Prevention of Drug Use and Abuse, Social Integration, and Health Promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean 

   
 

II Regional Nursing Research Capacity Building

 

 

II Regional Research Capacity-Building Program for Nurses from Latin America to Study the Drug Phenomenon

I.          Introduction

    The economic, political and social dimensions of healthcare transcend national borders. Global interdependence among international actors has considerably increased the mobility among countries and regions around the world, which has affected the access and use of healthcare services as well as their infrastructure. In this way, international and non-governmental organizations have played an important role in the development of international cooperation policies and initiatives aiming at decreasing inequities and solving problems that have increasingly become globalized, such as is the problem concerning drug abuse. In post-modernity, the challenges in the healthcare area require a new approach in the education of professionals performing in this field by means of innovative strategies and integrated conceptual models which will privilege the development of leadership, particularly in nursing.

II.            Justification

    The nurse’s field of work also involves actions aiming at assisting the population’s needs concerning the fight against the use of illegal drugs in all phases of its process.

    Nurses can, therefore, act in the leadership and management of research projects and programs, in projects and programs for the assistance of the population’s specific needs as well as in the direct care of individuals and specific groups in the community, in addition to influencing existing public policies.

    The drug-related phenomenon represents a new field for nurses’ professional performance which presently faces, particularly in Latin America, a serious predicament in relation to the use and trafficking of illegal drugs. Such predicament has also changed the demographic and epidemiological situation of various communities due to the high levels of urban violence resulting form that practice.

    In the context of nursing education in Undergraduate, Master and Doctoral levels, the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing has been regionally, nationally and internationally distinguished. With the recognition of its excellence in research, it has been a WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing Research Development since 1988.

    Therefore, considering the impacts that the drug-related phenomenon has caused in Latin America and the goals of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control
Commission (CICAD) as well as the characteristics of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, with its large experience in nursing education, we would like to propose the Training Project for Latin American Nursing Professionals to be made official by means of an agreement between the two participating institutions.

III.            Academic Structure

Level: Specialization

Number of Hours: 420 hours

Type of program: Intensive with two pedagogical modalities: on-site and distance learning

Duration:  May 2003- May 2004

Modality: Part I – On site; Part II – Distance Learning

Faculty involved: University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursi

National Consultants:  International Consultants: LA, US

IV.            Educational Program

Part I . On-site Program

Module I             International Health and the Drug-Related Phenomenon

    It introduces the student to health studies in a macro context, as part of International Relations in the light of the international dimension of the healthcare field, transposing such knowledge to a micro dimension, that is, to national and local dimensions aiming at relating these two dimensions to the drug-related phenomenon in the world and in the Americas. The topics to be approached in Module I are: (i) the globalization process and its influence in the field of healthcare and development; (ii) the role of international and non-governmental organizations in health promotion and development; (iii) conceptual bases and models for International Health and for the drug-related phenomenon.

Period:   1 week , 7 hours/day – Monday to Saturday

Place:   University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto/ College of Nursing

Number of Hours:            42 hours

Module II       The Drug-Related Phenomenon and the Use of Science and Technology in the Development of Policies Influencing the Decision-Making Process

    It studies the drug-related phenomenon in Latin America focusing on its economic, political, social and epidemiological dimensions and presenting the process of creation of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism/MEM from CICAD/OAS for drug control in the Americas as well as the possibilities for the creation of national and international cooperation networks as sources of information, qualification and continual support to the study of the drug-related phenomenon. The topics studied in Module II are: (i) The drug phenomenon in Latin America: economic, political, social and epidemiological dimensions; (ii) Intervention models and specific treatments; (iii) Prevention models; (iv) Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism/MEM from CICAD/OAS; (v) Nursing Networks

Period:   6 weeks, 7 hours/day – Monday to Saturday March

Place:  University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing

Numbers of hours: 194  hours

Module III      Research and the Drug-Related Phenomenon         

    To approach the conventional and contemporary paradigms of quantitative and qualitative research and its application to the study of the drug-related phenomenon. In the course of the module activities, the positivist approach, types of knowledge, science and the scientific method, experimental and non-experimental research: research problems and hypotheses, discreet and inferential statistics will be developed. In the qualitative approach, the bases of social research, qualitative theories and methods (historical and dialectic materialism, dialectic hermeneutics, phenomenology, culture and the ethnographic method, in addition to the historical method), investigation techniques, classification, data analysis and interpretation: principles and techniques will be emphasized. Activities contemplating the development of research practice aiming at the project facilitation and the application of technical research aspects will be promoted. The ethical and legislative aspects related to the investigation process will also be studied. Module III will be divided into two units:

Unit I:

1.      Types of knowledge, science and the scientific method.

2.      Ethics in research.

3.      The structure of a research project and of a scientific work.

4.      Analysis and interpretation of scientific articles.

5.      Research problems and hypotheses.

6.      The context of knowledge – literature review.

7.      Research outlining: experimental, quasi-experimental and non-experimental research.

8.      Data mensuration and collection.

9.      Discreet and inferential statistics.

10.   Scientific writing.

Unit II:

1.    Bases of social research: questions, object, dimensions, classification and the methodological setting of social research.

2.    Practical activity: definition of its field, object e research problems.

3.    Qualitative methods and theories: historical and dialectic materialism, dialectic hermeneutics, phenomenology,  culture and the ethnographic method, historical method.

4.     Investigation techniques: observation, focal group, interview and questionnaire, documental analysis.

5.     Data classification, analysis and interpretation – principles and techniques.

Period:   05 weeks 7 hours/day, Monday to Saturday,  April 8 to May 10, 2002

Participants:   15 faculty nurses from Latin America

Place:   University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing

Number of hours:  238 hours

Part II. Distance Learning Program

Module IV     Research Projects Applied to the Drug-Related Phenomenon

Module IV corresponds to the operationalization of the different educational programs and research projects that were developed by the students during the previous modules to be applied in their respective countries for a period of six months. This module will give support to the creation and implementation of the National and International Virtual Network of Nursing Research in relation to the Study on the Drug-Related Phenomenon in Latin America. The results of the educational program and research projects will be presented in December 2002.

Place:   Countries of the participating members

Period:   May 2003 – May 2004 

Duration:  6 months 

Number of Hours:  184 hours

Module V      I International Meeting on Nursing Research Concerning the Study of the Drug-Related Phenomenon in Latin America

    Module V consists in holding an international meeting with the program coordinators, national and international authorities and the students from the training course. The purpose of the meeting is to present the results of the educational and research programs that were implemented in each country as well as to make the general evaluation of the program with recommendations for the continuity of future training courses in the field. The developed monographs will be published in the Proceedings of the Event.

Place:   Ribeirão Preto/SP/Brazil

Period: May 2004

Duration:  3 days (December 9, 10 and 11, 2002) – 24 hours

VI            Administrative Structure

Coordination/University of Ribeirao Preto: Dr. Margarita Antonia Villar Luis

Academic and Technical team:  Faculty of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing

National and international  Consultants.

CICAD/OAS Representatives.

Representatives of Government of Japan Representatives.

Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Science

Languages: Portuguese and Spanish