Dinâmicas atuais da enfermagem em Portugal: a representação dos enfermeiros

Abstract

This research study, with a qualitative approach was carried out aiming to identify nurses' representation on current professional dynamics, evolutionary landmarks and the future outlook for Portuguese nursing with twenty nurses from Evora, Portugal, in April / May of 2009, through narrative testimony. Qualification obtained along the years as well as the Nurses' Association were mentioned as the central representative pillars in order to build up professional identity. Autonomy is part of daily caring routine, however hegemonic power issues in the health team still ground nurses' action and underpin their self and peer professional and social recognition. Future outlook addresses issues such as employment, career uncovering hope for some and uncertainty for others.

Portuguese nursing: history of the life and activism of Maria Augusta Sousa

“…It was only in 2008, at the international level, that this dimension was understood as transversal knowing of knowledge in nursing. The present study differs from others, in that it explains the political strength of the category of nurses through their professional associations and strategies that increased the membership of the category, validating their power as a working class (1) . The present study points to the need for review of curricula and the process of training nurses, the need to promote strategies to strengthen the representative bodies of the professional category of nursing, and the need for actions that bring together these entities at the national and global levels.…”

“…Since the 1970s, due to its increasing complexity, the profession of nursing in Portugal has undergone major transformations, with the aim of recognizing and qualifying the activities of the profession and thereby improving quality of care (1) . Among these changes, the following are notable: professional training at a single level, and the end of education of nursing assistants (1975); unification of the career (1981); integration of nursing training into the national education system (1988); creation of the Regulation of Nurses Professional Practice (1996); implementation of the Order of Nurses (OE) (1998); and licensing as initial training (1999).…”

Nurses' practices in the context of primary healthcare in Portugal

“…An inclusion criterion was that all studies analysed had nurses working in primary care services as participating subjects. Two studies were conducted with the participation of nurses who worked exclusively at family health units (Souza, 2013;Souza et al, 2013); three studies involved nurses from health centres (Carvalhais and Souza, 2013;Pereira and Costa, 2007;Silva et al, 2013); four other studies included health services nurses (Carvalho, 2011;Henriques, 2013;Mendes and Mantovani, 2010;Rodrigues and Soriano, 2011); and one study involved nurses from health centre groupings (Buchan et al, 2013). One study presented interviews with nurses from different services, such as family health units, personalised healthcare units, care units in the community and public health units (Pereira et al, 2012).…”

Trabalho em equipe de enfermagem em unidade de urgência e emergência na perspectiva de Kurt Lewin

“…(19) realizado com enfermeiros portugueses apontou que a falta de estabilidade não apenas compromete o rendimento do profissional, mas abala a confiança e compromisso com o trabalho.…”