In August 7th, 2012 the University of Campinas (Unicamp) approved, by unanimity, the creation of the School of Nursing. The new teaching, research and extension Unit of Unicamp is the result of the emancipation of the Nursing Department, until then integrated into the School of Medical Sciences (Faculdade de Ciências Médicas - FCM).
The Nursing Department was created in 1981, attached to the FCM, and its uniqueness was soon stressed for being the only one among 16 Departments responsible for an Undergraduate Nursing Program (created in 1978 and currently with 4065 hours), and a Graduate Program, integrating both Master (since 1999) and Doctoral (since 2008) levels.
The School of Nursing numbers 29 professors, all of them with a PhD degree. Most professors have a full-time contract to develop teaching , research and extension activities, and 23 are implicated in both undergraduate and graduate levels, assuring an environment of academic excellence. Several professors are leaders of Research Groups certified by the University and registered in the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) platform. These Research Groups have provided an important contribution to the scope of Nursing Science.
The members of the recently created School of Nursing have achieved prominence in the academic setting, due to the excellence of professional formation of its students, focused on the development of knowledge and competences in Nursing, encompassing critical thinking, leadership and engagement with the community. This quality assures the employability of our students in different settings: teaching career, public divisions, health institutions and companies, soon after the completion of the Undergraduate Program.
This new unit at Unicamp is also recognized for its leadership in education, research and extension services. Its national as well international projection in several Nursing areas must be even more expanded with the effective implementation of the School of Nursing.