Nephrologist training: a bioethical analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The training process in which the professional is inserted will have an intense relationship with the way they will face everyday situations, especially because they highlight bioethical conflicts. Objective: to evaluate the ethical training of professionals working in outpatient clinics providing conservative treatment to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and their knowledge of bioethical concepts, currents and theories. Method: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with a qualitative approach in which 63 professionals were interviewed, including doctors, nutritionists, nurses, psychologists and social workers, working in CKD conservative treatment outpatient clinics in four training services for Nephrology specialists in Rio de Janeiro, between March and September 2022. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and verified using Bardin’s technique. Result: In the analysis of the interviews, 28 categories emerged, grouped into four thematic axes: The Study of Ethics; How and what professionals learn about ethics; Relevance of the study of ethics in professional training; and the Study of ethics in Nephrology. The assessment of the professionals’ knowledge about bioethical concepts showed that only 2 professionals spoke about bioethical theories and specific ethical concepts. The difficulty for professionals in understanding the importance of studying content that permeates the clinic is clear. Conclusion: There was a lack of interest and little appreciation of the study of ethics in the training of specialists in Nephrology, associated with the professionals’ difficulty in understanding the importance of moral competence for effective, humanized and quality medical practice.