Environmental health: emancipatory care challenges and possibilities by the nurse

Abstract

Objectives: to discuss challenges and possibilities for the construction of Environmental Health emancipatory care practices by the nurse. Methods: reflective analysis based on conceptual, theoretical, and methodological aspects of nursing care, under the emancipatory and critical perspective. Results: contemporary environmental issues involve complex determinants of the health-disease process. This fact requires the accomplishment of educative actions that encourage the change of environmental attitudes related to health-risk situations. In this sense, there are significant demands for emancipatory practices of primary care in Environmental Health by nurses, which need to be systematized by health and education institutions. Final considerations: the nurse, as an educator and social actor, should offer emancipatory practices of risk management, empowerment, and shared social and environmental responsibility, with a view to recovering an ecological well-being and social transformation, to improve environmental quality and human life.

Ações de enfermagem com foco no meio ambiente/sustentabilidade visando à promoção da saúde dos indivíduos

“…Assim, o desenvolvimento sustentável preconiza que as populações atuais busquem condições para manter suas necessidades, sem causar impactos para as gerações futuras. É urgente, o desenvolvimento de um sentimento de interdependência global e de responsabilidade universal (Moniz, Daher, Sabóia & Ribeiro, 2020).…”

Participatory Research on Environmental Health: Exploring the perceptions of family health strategy professionals

“…Thus, the results showed the need of taking contextualized environmental education actions aimed at empowering and encouraging both health professionals and community to pursue greater equity in sanitation services. Professionals need qualification to improve their knowledge and prepare them to develop environmental education actions that take into consideration the complexity of environmental determinants and their relation to human health and it is the government's duty to promote permanent health education actions (Moniz et al, 2020).…”

“…Thus, the Family Health Strategy (FHS) emerged in the Brazilian scenario as a priority service focused on consolidating and expanding collective actions capable of encouraging the pursuit of healthy environments and sustainable development and, consequently, capable of improving the quality of life of the general population (Dias et al, 2018). Accordingly, primary healthcare professionals should encourage health practices to enable the applicability of community intervention methods focused on broadening the perception of people affected by environmental issues, as well as on empowering them to improve their environmental and health conditions (Moniz, Daher, Sabóia & Ribeiro, 2020). However, these health professionals are often unprepared to take actions aimed at promoting healthy environments and ecologically sustainable attitudes (Bruno et al, 2021).…”

Parents’ Perspectives on the Health Education Provided by Clinicians in Portuguese Pediatric Hospitals and Primary Care for Children Aged 1 to 10 Years

“…Despite this perspective, the importance given to this practice is shown in the present research, since all parents said that they did not miss children’s/young people’s health appointments, all demonstrated a positive evaluation of HE practice, and 16 participants reinforced the importance that HE has in professional nursing activity and its recognition. In fact, there is currently evidence of the increasing autonomy of nurses, with the expansion and consolidation of care and management actions and emancipatory practices of HP [ 17 ]. At the same time, HE is perceived as a frequently performed practice, and is evidenced taking advantage of opportunities, complying with current legal guidelines; the role of nurses, as professionals sensitive to emerging health needs and vulnerabilities, and the application of their knowledge in HP, is highlighted [ 17 ].…”

“…In fact, there is currently evidence of the increasing autonomy of nurses, with the expansion and consolidation of care and management actions and emancipatory practices of HP [ 17 ]. At the same time, HE is perceived as a frequently performed practice, and is evidenced taking advantage of opportunities, complying with current legal guidelines; the role of nurses, as professionals sensitive to emerging health needs and vulnerabilities, and the application of their knowledge in HP, is highlighted [ 17 ]. This result corroborates a study conducted in Ireland, in which parents yearned to participate actively in the educational process, together with health professionals, to implement care plans according to their children’s needs [ 18 ].…”