Perspectives for the teaching of bioethics in undergraduate nursing

The education of ethics and bioethics in schools of nursing in Brazil has presented strictly conceptual and deontological approaches, which often bear little relation to future professional practice. So the goal of this study was to present a proposal for teaching of ethics and bioethics in the integrated curriculum in undergraduate nursing Federal University of S?o Jo?o Del Rei, MG, Brazil. The results show that the content is provided in all units curriculum of the course covering the classical dilemma in the practice of care in all stages of the life cycle. Furthermore, this approach provides students with the development of autonomous and reflective attitudes, confronting culture and values with the biopsychosocial aspects.     

Analysis of nursing dissertations and theses on adolescence--Brazil, 1979-2000

This study aimed at checking the nursing knowledge produced about adolescence in Brazil from 1979 to 2000. The document-based research listed abstracts of dissertations and theses contained on the CD-ROM of the Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Enfermagem (CEPEN), the topics of which were adolescence/adolescent. The results, discussed in accordance with the concepts of Meleis (1997) and the relevant literature, show 46 works, 37 of them dissertations, defended in the Southeast Region (32), developed mostly between 1995 and 1999. The theoretical and methodological tendencies showed prevalence of clinical studies (22) related to the adolescent, of a qualitative nature (34). We concluded that there is a need for studies that include the adolescent in his/her family and community context. Also, greater incentive is necessary for the development of theses in poorer regions of the country.     

Analysis of nursing dissertations and theses on mental health, Brazil, 1979-2007

This bibliographic study analyzes scientific texts published in the CEPEn database in the mental health field (1979-2007). A total of 280 abstracts were investigated, of which 208 were Master's theses. The individuals investigated in these studies were professionals (57), patients (50), and professors and/or students (18). Among the themes addressed between 2000 and 2007 were the following: Nursing Care in Mental Health (40), Perception in Mental Health (37); and Transversality in Mental Health Care (27). This study provided an overview of the scientific research produced in the mental health field in Brazilian nursing graduate programs. We expect this study to elicit reflections concerning mental health care practice and enable new approaches for nursing promoting health and the prevention of diseases in order to enable patients to recover their citizenship, autonomy and quality of life.     

Analysis and critical review of the development of bioethics in Belarus

The main trends of the bioethics development in Belarus have been analyzed on the basis of the materials collected by the Ethics Documentation Center (ISEU, Minsk, Belarus). A critical review of the most important publications in the field since 2000 suggests that development of bioethics in Belarus has occurred in two parallel directions distantly connected to each other: a theoretical direction and a practical one. Despite there are objective and subjective reasons for introducing bioethics in Belarus as an institutionally-organized system based on liberal values such as individual rights and freedom, a range of essential problems could be identified. Non-equivalent regulation of ethical issues in health care and other fields of biomedical research has been emphasized, as well as the problem of unclear hierarchical relationships among institutions dealing with various aspects of bioethics in the country and low ethical and educational level of the social and professional groups involved in further expansion of bioethical knowledge. The contextual aspects of the development of bioethics in the country such as the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, the prevalence of the authoritarian social morality and traditionally paternalistic nature of the relations between physicians and their patients are discussed.     

Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics: a case for an effective model for international bioethics education

Designing bioethics curriculum for international postgraduate students is a challenging task. There are at least two main questions, which have to be resolved in advance: (1) what is a purpose of a particular teaching program and (2) how to respectfully arrange a classroom for students coming from different cultural and professional backgrounds. In our paper we analyze the case of the Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics program and provide recommendations for international bioethics education. In our opinion teaching bioethics to postgraduate international students goes beyond curriculum. It means that such a program requires not only well-defined goals, including equipping students with necessary skills and knowledge, but also it should first and foremost facilitate positive group dynamics among students and enables them to engage in dialogue to learn from one another.     

Thalidomide once more in the spotlight

Thalidomide was withdrawn from the market in the early sixties because of major teratogenic effects such as reduction defects of the limbs. Since, however, it has been found to be an effective drug in erythema nodosum leprosum. In the United States it was decided in September 1997 to admit thalidomide to the market for this indication, and in South America it has been available for this indication all the time. Thalidomide is also efficacious in other major disorders (e.g. aphtae and ulcers in aids) or its efficacy is being investigated in clinical trials (e.g. autoimmune diseases, other complications in aids). The American Food and Drug Administration has imposed conditions for the use of thalidomide. Users have to sign an informed consent and to take adequate contraceptive measures. Physicians should inform the patients and monitor side effects. Pharmacists should record and control the use.