Problem-posing in education: transformation of the practice of the health professional.

This study was developed by a group of professionals from different areas (nurses and educators) concerned with health education. It proposes the use of a problem-posing model for the transformation of professional practice. The concept and functions of the model and their relationships with the educative practice of health professionals are discussed. The model of problem-posing education is presented (compared to traditional, "banking" education), and four innovative experiences of teaching-learning are reported based on this model. These experiences, carried out in areas of environmental and occupational health and patient education have shown the applicability of the problem-posing model to the practice of the health professional, allowing transformation.

[The nursing process at a burns unit: an ethnographic study]. / O processo de enfermagem em uma unidade de queimados: um estudo etnográfico.

This ethnographic study aimed at understanding the cultural meaning that nursing professionals working at a Burns Unit attribute to the nursing process as well as at identifying the factors affecting the implementation of this methodology. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that, to the nurses from the investigated unit, the nursing process seems to be identified as bureaucratic management. Some factors determining this perception are: the way in which the nursing process has been taught and interpreted, routine as a guideline for nursing activity, and knowledge and power in the life-world of the Burns Unit.

[Communications of surgical nurses in patient orientation: cultural influences]. / A comunicação do enfermeiro cirúrgico na orientação do paciente: a influência cultural.

The aim of this study was to describe the influence of culture on the verbal interactions of the surgical nurse in the orientation of patients. On the basis of ethnography, authors describe the characteristics of the verbal interaction related to knowledge, beliefs, values, patterns and work organization, in the cultural context.

[Patients with chronic renal insufficiency in hemodialysis: nurses educational activities]. / Paciente com insuficiência renal crônica em tratamento hemodialítico: atividade educativa do enfermeiro.

The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the nurse's educative activity with chronic renal patients undergoing an hemodialytic treatment, providing an improvement in the patient's quality of life and using a model called "awareness education". The subjects of this study were eight chronic renal patients--four female patients and four male patients whose age varied from 17 to 63 years old. The methodological approach was the research-action and data collection about significant situations was carried out through participant observation. Data interpretation was related to the referential proposed by PAULO FREIRE, i.e. the analysis of the generating themes. Data were selected and encoded in six generating topics: Chronic Renal Failure (IRC), Causes of IRC, Hemodialytic Treatment, Chronic Renal Patient's Limitations and Possibilities when undergoing an Hemodialytic Treatment, Renal Transplantation and Family Support. The Discussion Groups were developed according to the Pedagogical Method by PAULO FREIRE. After that stage, satisfactory changes in the chronic renal patients' quality of life who participated in the teaching-learning process have been observed. This has enabled us to conclude that there has been a development of the naïve consciousness for the criticism about their situation, owing to some changes in their reality.

[Analysis of teaching practices of university professors in the health field]. / Uma análise das práticas docentes de professores universitários da área de saúde.

The study aims to describe teaching practices--in planning, execution and evaluation of the teaching-learning process--used by faculty of some courses in the health field in Brazil: Odontology, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Psychology, Nutrition, Social Work and Veterinary Medicine. The sample was made up by 29 faculties enrolled in a didactic subject course at graduate programs. They answered a questionnaire with semi-open questions. The answers obtained point to a "banking" education practice, according to Paulo Freire. This kind of education is characterized by: 1) emphasis on the transmission of information; 2) many hours of education; 3) little integration between courses and 4) lecture classes.

[The learning needs of laryngectomized patients]. / As necessidades de aprendizagem dos pacientes laringectomizados.

This study reports the learning needs of laryngectomized patients from a university hospital. The data about how the patients feel about their post surgical condition, were obtained by participant-observation. The patients words were collected in case-studies and related to the learning needs. On the basic of these needs the authors intend to plan the pedagogic action.

[Freire's education model applied to a program of teaching of nursing practice]. / O modelo freireano de educação aplicado ao programa da disciplina prática de ensino de enfermagem.

The present study is a qualitative research supported by Paulo Freire's writings. It presents the structure of a discipline-Nursing Teaching Practice-which searches for an amplification of opportunities provided by the Nursing School in order to improve the student's consciousness of his/her role as a future educator.

[Nursing student expectations regarding the teaching unit "Nursing care for the patient in intensive therapy"]. / As expectativas dos alunos de enfermagem quanto à unidade de ensino "a assistência de enfermagem ao paciente de terapia intensiva".

The previous knowledge which nursing students have about intensive care and critically ill patients were identified by a pre-test. The study revealed also the student's expectations for the teaching unit dealing with the nursing care of patients in the intensive care unit. The data showed that the students' knowledges and expectations are intermixed with prejudices owing to stigmata usually attached to the themes. The study provided bases for the replanning of the teaching, taking into account the students' expectations.

[The indicators for a restructuring of the nursing degree curriculum: the expectations of professionals and a curriculum assessment by former students]. / Indicadores para reestruturação do currículo de graduação em enfermagem: expectativas dos profissionais e apreciação do currículo por ex-alunos.

Two kinds of evidence were used to guide curriculum changes in the Nursing School of Ribeirão Preto (University of São Paulo): 1) a survey of nurses' expectations on their profession, their functions, the other members of the team and on the Nursing School teachers; 2) graduates' (ex-students) curriculum evaluation. We inquired 115 nurses working in 5 general hospitals of Ribeirão Preto, and had a return of 49 questionnaires (42.6%). This questionnary was delivered by the authors personally to the nurses, along with guidances on answering and date for return, and had 9 opened questions. The classification of answers makes possible to assert: the assistance function is the most emphasized by nurses; the student's expectations change during the professional practice; 60% of the informants considered the content of the curriculum disciplines adequate; 69.4% considered the habilitations dispensable.