School of Nursing: 65 years in the formation of health- and life-care professionals

Abstract

With this special number by the Colombia Médica journal, we wish to participate in the commemoration of the 65 years since the creation of the School of Nursing at Universidad del Valle. This journal, official organism of scientific diffusion at the University, joins this celebration to manifest recognition and gratitude to the founders, directors of the School and to the faculty staff who with their tenacity, vision, and sense of pertinence have contributed to placing this Academic Unit at the highest levels. There have been many contributions during these six and a half decades, but perhaps, one that gives us the most satisfaction is that of having been able to contribute to the high-level formation of human talent in nursing, not only at the local level but regionally, nationally, and internationally. The graduates from the different undergraduate and graduate programs can attest, through their outstanding professional performance, of this contribution to society. This supplement seeks to gather, besides the history of over half a century of our raison d’être in nursing, some of the paths that have been marking the perspective of the School. For this reason, we are presenting themes like disciplinary development in nursing, which reflects the multiple searches for the construction and projection of the exercise of the profession noting that the future raises complex and unavoidable challenges; likewise, the themes of student leadership and counseling make us encounter the tensions experienced on a daily basis as an institution dedicated to the formation of human talent in nursing, given that we are urged to reflect and join efforts to question ourselves critically on what type of human beings are being formed at the University and what society will be built with them. Finally, another path the School has been developing is the use of innovation and communications technologies. This has been one of the bastions that for over two decades have guided our teaching activities.  In this supplement, we present the experience that has facilitated the formation in higher education of students with difficult access to classroom education because they have to comply with different roles in society, along with perspectives seen in this area.  Readers will also find in this supplement, texts that address the field of research challenges in nursing and reflections on its social responsibility, as well as call to delve into the work process and its relationship with healthcare to permit analyzing the contributions from the different components in the health of nursing workers. Possibly, Reading this supplement will instigate readers’ thoughts, while contributing to solve some of their doubts, but surely and most importantly is that it will move them toward new challenges to think of and act in favor of nursing.