A model to estimate the total educational costs of the nursing course from state university of Londrina city, Paraná, Brazil

Resumo

Objectives: to present the model cost for estimate the educational costs of the integrated curriculum of a nursing course. Methodology: the Model to Estimate the Educational Nursing Program Costs (MECEE) was based on a construction program and was set in a diagram. There were also presented the similarities and differences between the two models. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital (253/04). Results: some similarities between the two models were: dealing with the educational program characteristics and particularities, collecting data on educator contact hour unity (direct costs), identifying full time equivalent faculties and supporting costs activities (indirect costs). Among the differences the pattern model was described in 12 steps and the constructed model MECEE in six. Conclusion: the MECEE allows the understanding of faculty working hours and contact hours during educational year, and the faculties and departments participation in the educational program. The MECEE has some advantages comparing to other models regarding scientific international literature such as bringing the educational administrator the diagnosis and evaluation of existing programs’ costs mainly on innovative curriculum cases. Descriptors: curriculum; costs; cost analysis; higher education.