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Copyright of Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Eletronica de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Eletronica de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AIMS: This paper seeks to analyse the content, people and process of transformational change to introduce new ways of working for specialized obstetric nurses in northeast Brazil, and identify the lessons learned. BACKGROUND: Countries across the globe are beginning to focus on improving the nursing workforce through new ways of working. High numbers of caesarean sections coupled with high indices of maternal mortality in northeast Brazil prompted the introduction of a British Council Higher Education Links scheme to work collaboratively to transform the role of the specialist obstetric nurse and introduce the principles of Safe Motherhood. The concept of a normal birth had not been widely accepted, with the birth process viewed as a medical condition requiring pharmaco-therapeutic interventions rather than as a natural process. METHOD: Between 2000 and 2003, a more woman-centred approach to childbirth was introduced through the local delivery of two in-house education programmes and the qualification of 38 nurse-midwives. DISCUSSION: In spite of its slow progress, the success of the Higher Education collaboration has been recognized nationally, a new philosophy is guiding practice and new ways of working have been established. CONCLUSION: Lessons learned include the need to set achievable goals (content), respond to the emotional needs of those involved in the change (people) and make best use of reciprocal visits to rally the teams and sustain the focus for change (process). Although the Higher Education link is complete, funds are being sought for formal evaluation and dissemination. Overall, the process and outcomes of this collaboration suggest that to embrace such an opportunity to learn from each other can lead to real improvements in service and the lives of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: to analyze the concept of "early diagnosis of HIV/Aids infection" in light of Walker and Avant's conceptual analysis model., Methods: concept analysis study based on the framework proposed by Walker and Avant, instrumented by a scoping review conducted in April 2022, following the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and checklist Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The search was made in eight data sources, obtaining sixteen articles., Results: the study found homosexual intercourses, early examination, anti-HIV antibodies, CD4 count, and sexually transmitted infection as the main attributes of the concept. As antecedents: information, risky behavior, unprotected sexual relations, prevention, and access to the service. As main consequences: antiretroviral treatment, seroconversion, transmission, and consultations., Final Considerations: the study approached the circumstantial situations of the theme, its attributes, antecedents, and consequences, qualifying the work process based on knowledge of nursing practice.

Objectives: to define the concept of Health Education of Hospitalized Patient., Methods: the study used the conceptual analysis based on Walker and Avant strategies: Derivation, Synthesis, and Analysis of the concept. Researchers conducted 35 interviews with nurses who worked in direct care to patients admitted to a Hospital-School, and a bibliographic search on the CINAHL, Medline/PubMed®, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and BDENF databases., Results: the study identified the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of the concept and defined the concept of Health Education of Hospitalized Patient as "the action of sharing knowledge about the promotion, prevention, recovery and rehabilitation concerning to health based on reciprocity between nurses and patients, family members and companions, in a systematized or unsystematic way"., Final Considerations: the identification of antecedents, attributes, consequences, and empirical references enabled the theoretical definition unprecedented of this concept and its applicability in practice, contributing to science and hospital nursing care.

Objective: to develop a theoretical model about the care of children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome in the family context., Method: the Straussian Grounded Theory and the theoretical/philosophical framework of Callista Roy and Leonardo Boff were used. It was carried out in northeastern Brazil, with 19 participants, in four sample groups. The data were collected and analyzed simultaneously, using the constant comparison method., Results: the theoretical model comprising the mother's care for the child with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome in the family context is formed by five categories: revealing family care, centered on the mother, to the child with the syndrome; identifying the maternal bond that determines the care for children with the syndrome in the family context; identifying the factors that hinder the mother's care for the child with the syndrome; recognizing the evolution of the child with the syndrome in the face of early stimulation care; and recognizing harms due to the absence of early stimulus to children with the syndrome., Conclusion: the phenomenon runs through the care of the child with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome, in the family context and centered on the mother, and is faced with the need for shared responsibility among the family members.

Objectives: To analyze the concept of virtual clinical simulation in nursing education., Methods: The Walker and Avant concept analysis model guided the study process and the data collection followed the integrative literature review method. Databases searched were: CINAHL, PubMed, Education Resources Information Center, and Scopus. Search terms and Boolean operators were: e-simulation OR virtual clinical simulation OR computer-simulation OR computer simulation OR virtual gaming OR virtual reality AND nursing education OR nursing. The sample comprised 45 studies., Results: Virtual clinical simulation in nursing education was defined as the innovative teaching and learning technological strategy that provides immersive self-regulated training of nursing practice, reproducing real-life experiences and feedback in a virtual environment that is safe, interactive, dynamic and enjoyable., Conclusions: Clarification of this concept contributes to the development of a standardized terminology to include in the nursing nomenclature system and its dissemination for the construction of nursing science., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Objectives: to describe a theoretical model of nursing care for children with obesity in Primary Health Care., Methods: Grounded Theory and the theoretical/philosophical framework of Virginia Henderson were used. The research was conducted in Family Basic Health Units and in Specialized Services in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. A total of 24 participants composed four sample groups. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, between April and October 2015, and analyzed by the constant comparison method. The analysis occurred by initial coding, construction of diagrams and memos, axial coding, selective coding and reflection on the paradigm and on the emerging theory., Results: six categories emerged from the data. Nurses worrying about the care of children with obesity as a neglected area in Primary Health Care was the theoretical model., Final Considerations: the phenomenon is related to the individuality of nursing care and the need for shared responsibilities.

The scope of this article is to analyze the concept of the Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome. It is a conceptual analysis, based on Walker and Avant. In order to operationalize the search, a systematic review was conducted. The essence of the concept of the Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome is determined by the following attributes: intracranial calcification, ventriculomegaly, and diminished brain volume. For this syndrome to occur, it is necessary to have the following antecedents: transplacental transmission of a mother infected by the bite of the Aedes SSP mosquito or by sexual contact. Accordingly, this entails a set of signs and symptoms that go beyond fetal or postnatal microcephaly, such as, for example, delayed neuropsychomotor development, auditory and visual abnormalities, craniofacial disproportion, overlapping cranial sutures, prominent occipital bone, excess nuchal skin, epilepsy, irritability, dyskinesia, hypertonia, hypotonia, hemiplegia, hemiparesis, spasticity and hyperreflexia. The concept of the Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome is newly acknowledged. The presence of the set of signs and symptoms by the Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome is determined by intracranial calcification and decreased brain volume, and the baby may present microcephaly at birth or subsequently.

Purpose: To analyze the association between components of the nursing diagnosis ineffective protection (00043) and sociodemographic and clinical data of hemodialysis patients., Method: Cross-sectional study was conducted during the first half of 2015 with a sample of 200 patients from a reference clinic of nephrology. A structured instrument containing operational definitions was used to collect data., Findings: Hemodialysis patients presented defining characteristics of ineffective protection (00043) associated with sociodemographic and clinical context variables., Conclusion: Components of this diagnosis may be influenced by sociodemographic and clinical context of hemodialysis patients., (© 2017 NANDA International, Inc.)

Aim: To report an analysis of the concept nursing care of overweight children., Background: Patient care is the essence of nursing practice. Nursing professionals must define how to serve specific population groups, including overweight children, presenting real solutions to their problem. A clear conceptual analysis is necessary to unify nursing language and to contribute to nursing practice., Design: Concept analysis., Data Sources: The following databases were searched: COCHRANE, SCOPUS, LILACS, CINAHL, MEDLINE/PubMed, and CAPES Theses Library of Brazil., Review Methods: Walker and Avant's concept analysis methodology was adopted in this study. Twenty-two articles were analyzed, and the uses, attributes, antecedents, and outcomes of the concept were identified. The nursing care assumptions proposed by Virginia Henderson comprised the theoretical referential., Results: The attributes of nursing care for overweight children included investigation, guidance, and monitoring of dietary, clinical, academic, and social aspects, along with evaluation of lifestyle and anthropometric data related to the affected children and their families., Conclusion: This study enabled the construction of a defined concept for nursing care of overweight children that may be useful in the construction of a medium-range theory. Further research is recommended to verify the usefulness of the nursing approach., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To describe the construction process of an intervention in the form of a Nursing Care program to Adolescents aimed at preventing and controlling overweight/obesity in the school environment., Method: A methodological study developed through Intervention Mapping in Natal/RN, Brazil, between October of 2015 and September of 2016, with the participation of adolescents, public school teachers and nurses in Primary Health Care. Data sources were focus groups, interviews and an integrative review. The Collective Subject Discourse was used for analysis., Results: At the end of the six stages of the Intervention Mapping, the "School Health Nursing Program" (Programa de Enfermagem Saúde na Escola) was constructed, which should be implemented over 10 months with five weekly classes of exercises and a weekly session of nursing interventions detailed in the Program., Conclusion: The nursing intervention guided by Intervention Mapping allows actions based on theories, community participation, school/service bonds, and care continuity.

Objective: To identify social, clinical and behavioral factors of tuberculosis patients that are associated with delay in the search for primary health care., Method: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 56 people on treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis in the city of Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The data were collected through a structured instrument. The Chi-square and Fisher tests were applied to test the association between independent and dependent variables (search time). A value of p <0.05 was set as statistically significant., Results: No social or clinical variables were statistically associated with patient delays in the search for primary health care. Among the behavioral variables, self-medication and the first health service sought had a statistically significant association with the time for seeking care (p = 0.020, and p = 0.033, respectively)., Conclusion: Self-medication contributes to the delay in the search for primary health care by tuberculosis patients.

Objective: to describe the construction and transition phases undertaken in the development of a virtual learning environment named Plataforma PEnsinar® (PEnsinar Platform®). This platform aims at teaching the nursing process and the nursing classifications NANDA International, NIC, NOC and ICNP®., Method: this is a methodological and technological development research that used construction and transition phases of the software development process named Rational Unified Process., Results: the software was developed in the construction phase. Unit and integration tests of components of interfaces were held. In the transition phase, the complete system was showed to the users. It was completely working considering the applicability and employment, under conditions to be implemented and evaluated., Conclusion: the study showed how the construction and transition phases of the Plataforma PEnsinar® were developed. It was based on a proposal that inserts the student as an active agent in the nursing process and the professor as a mediator, providing tools that will contribute to a better learning.

Introduction:: Diseases of old age have shown increasing prevalence in society. One of them is stroke, which can be conceptualized as the interruption of cerebral blood supply due to a leakage or blood vessel obstruction caused by clots., Objective:: To verify the associations between sociodemographic factors and the functional capacity of elderly affected by stroke., Methods:: This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and quantitative study, including 118 elderly people with paralyses due to stroke, who were registered in one of the Family Health Strategies units of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Data were collected by means of home interviews. Two questionnaires were used, in which one was directed for assessment of sociodemographic variables and the second was called Barthel index for assessing the functional capacity of the subjects regarding the activities of daily life. The analysis was conducted using the statistical program SPSS., Results:: There was a predominance of the female gender, widowed, without schooling, and with household income of up to one Brazilian minimum wage. The average age was 65 years (± 9.63). The Barthel index internal consistency was satisfactory, presenting values of Cronbach's alpha coefficient in the range of 0.897-0.918. Total correlation of corrected items was greater than 0.4, and Cronbach's alpha with a deleted item was also greater than 0.8. The activities with higher level of achievement difficulty were urination and evacuation. Association between functional capacity with race, age range, and schooling was found., Conclusion:: It was seen that demographic factors might interfere with the functional capacity of elderly affected by stroke. Hence, it is believed that this investigation might have contributed to the reflection on this issue, thus supporting the promotion of these people's access to health assistance programs.

Objective To analyze the concept of fluid overload in Chronic Kidney Disease patients undergoing dialysis therapy and comparing it to the Nursing Diagnosis of Excess fluid volume present in the NANDA International. Method An integrative literature review carried out in the LILACS, CINAHL and SCOPUS databases. Results The sample was comprised of 22 articles. The defining attributes of the concept were: fluid retention, fluid buildup in the body, and weight gain over a short period; while the attributes composing the definition were: fluid retention in the body (intracellular/extracellular space) expressed by weight gain over short period of time. Twenty-one (21) antecedents and 22 consequents of fluid overload in patients with renal disease in dialysis therapy were identified. Conclusion The definition evidenced by the NANDA International taxonomy for the Excess fluid volume Nursing Diagnosis and the components of this diagnosis need to be complemented in order to better target the care of patients with kidney disease undergoing dialysis therapy.

Objective: to analyze the conditions that enhance the dimensions of individual, social and programmatic vulnerability associated with sexually transmitted infections in physically disabled people., Methods: this transversal study, with a quantitative approach, was conducted in 2015 in conjunction with an association for disabled people in Campina Grande, PB, Brazil. Ninety-eight individuals participated in the study and answered a questionnaire regarding the dimensions of vulnerability in relation to sexually transmitted infections. The chi-square test, Fisher's test, contingency coefficient test and prevalence ratio test were all performed., Results: an association was identified between the occurrence of sexually transmitted infections with the number of partners (p = 0.020); the belief that having few partners was a form of prevention (p = 0.044); the belief that poor hygiene was a risk factor; age (p = 0.007); the type of disability (p = 0.007); and having a consultation with a urologist (p = 0.030)., Conclusion: physically disabled people have conditions that enhance their vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, which are linked to individual, social and programmatic dimensions. By characterizing the conditions of vulnerability it is possible to devise specific prevention linked to the reality of the social and health conditions of individuals.

Purpose: To analyze the association between nursing diagnoses and socioeconomic/clinical characteristics of patients on hemodialysis., Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted by means of interview and physical examination of 178 patients consecutively selected., Findings: Nursing diagnoses within the NANDA-I domains of health promotion, nutrition, activity/rest, perception/cognition, sexuality, safety/protection, and comfort presented statistically significant association with the socioeconomic/clinical data of age, education, sex, marital status, and duration of the chronic renal disease and hemodialysis., Conclusion: The nursing diagnoses in this population may be influenced by the socioeconomic/clinical data., Implications for Nursing Practice: The results suggest an opportunity for improved nursing intervention in this community., (© 2014 NANDA International, Inc.)

The objective of this study was to identify factors related to the place of first choice for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. A descriptive quantitative study was conducted in Natal/RN, throughout February/September 2012 with 60 individuals diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis that responded a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the Chi-square and Fisher test. The factors asso- ciated to the place of first choice were: having had previous contact with the disease (p = 0.04); the person's awareness of the disease (p = 0.018) and having had previous care at the health service unit of choice (p = 0.002). It is concluded that intrinsic and extrinsic factors may influence the individual's first choice of a place for care and diagnosis of diseases. It is important that nurses promote actions related to these factors, for the enhancement of early diagnosis of tuberculosis through case finding and access to the primary care unit thereby reducing the demand for emergency services.

Objective: to analyze the association between the presence of Acantose nigricans and metabolic changes in overweight adolescents, so as to ascertain the relevance of the identification of this marker in the nursing consultation., Method: a cross-sectional study undertaken between April 2009 and April 2010 with 118 adolescents who were service users of the Center for Child Obesity in Campina Grande in the Brazilian State of Paraíba (PB). The presence of Acantose nigricans, and the subjects' anthropometric measurements, were investigated. The following exams were made: insulin, triglycerides, HDL-Cholesterol, Glucose and the homeostatic model of assessment (HOMA-IR)., Results: there was association between the presence of Acantose nigricans and participants with insulin resistance (p=0.008), metabolic syndrome (p=0.031), elevated triglycerides (p=0.045) and altered HDL (p=0.002)., Conclusions: the suggestion is supported that the detection/identification of Acantose nigricans may be used in the nursing consultation as a tool for identifying overweight adolescents with greater risk of metabolic changes.

This study aimed to verify the association between self-care ability and sociodemographic factors of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). It was a cross-sectional study, conducted in 2012, in all 58 Basic Health Units of Natal/RN, Brazil. Seventy-three subjects completed a sociodemographic form and Self-Care Agency Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS,including Cronbach's Alpha, Chi-square, Fisher's and contingency coefficient tests. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.788. The result verified that sex (p = 0.028), religion (p <0.001), education (p = 0.046), current age (p = 0.027), SCI time (p = 0.020) and the SCI type (p = 0.012) were variables associated with self-care ability of the subjects. It was concluded that sociodemographic factors may interfere with the self-care ability of persons with SCI, and nurses should consider this aspect during the execution of the nursing process.

Purpose: to identify changes in the food intake patterns among overweight children and teenagers, treated at a reference medical centre., Method: the method used is that of a cohort study, between April 2010 and April 2011. A total of 109 children and teenagers, either obese or overweight, took part in the study. The population was divided into two subgroups depending on the permanence period (more than 6 months, and less than 6 months off the treatment). The chi-square test and logistic regression were carried out., Results: the group which had been longer off the treatment tended to consume more soft drinks, pasta and fried foods, and less fruit and vegetables. The group with less time showed an improvement, with a reduction of consumption of soft drinks and other goodies. There was confirmation of an increased risk for consumption of soft drinks, pasta and goodies in general, as also detachment from the treatment in adolescence., Conclusions: The group with a longer period of monitoring has had a positive change in food intake frequency. The main contribution made by this study is that of showing that multiprofessional treatment, including some nursing care, is efficient in progressively changing the food intake of children and adolescents who are overweight.

The aim was to investigate the Functional Disability degree in adults with spinal cord injury and its association with socio-demographic characteristics. The Barthel Index was used and 75 subjects answered a questionnaire with socio-demographic variables. The Chi-Square, Cronbach's Alpha and Fisher tests were used in the analysis. The mean age was 42.23 years. Cronbach's Alpha for the Barthel Index was 0.807. The activities that were more difficult to perform were Climbing and Descending Stairs (92%) and Walking (82.7%). The mean Barthel Index score was 64 points. The tests of association demonstrated values with p>0.05. Even though this population demonstrated a low degree of dependency and no association was identified between the socio-demographic variables and Functional Disability, the study contributes to nursing care for individuals with spinal cord injury, considering the limitations the condition imposes on their self-care.

A transversal descriptive quantitative study, conducted with 50 people with Venous Ulcer (VU) at an University Hospital, that aimed to ascertain the level of psychosocial adaptation of the Roy Model of people with VU. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. The data were collected with a structured form. After organizing the data, composed of changes in the lives of people with VU, we classified it according to Roy's psychosocial aspects. We found that in the self-concept mode, 36% felt dissatisfied with physical appearance, and 18% had negative feelings; in the role-function mode: change in the working role (52.0%), housework (34.0%), marital (6.0%), leisure, pain, social, educational and transportation restrictions (82.0%); interdependence mode: support in treatment (82.0%), discrimination (58.0%). The identification of the psychosocial aspects directs nursing actions to consider the whole of the person receiving care in its relations with the environment, thus promoting a better level of adaptation.

This study aimed at learning about the feelings experienced by mothers while breastfeeding their premature babies in a rooming-in facility, by means of individual interviews with 33 mothers during the period of February to April 2006, at a maternity hospital in Natal/RN/Brazil. The main feelings referred by the mothers regarding their inability to breastfeed their premature babies immediately after delivery were: sorrow, guilt, disappointment, frustration, insecurity, and fear of touching, holding or harming the delicate babies while breastfeeding. However, the mother-child bond that was formed when the baby was discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and taken to the rooming-in facility was reflected by feelings of fulfillment, pride, and satisfaction at experiencing the first breastfeeding.

Study type integrative review of literature that aimed at understanding the integration of middle level nursing trainees in the nursing care of teaching hospitals. Using the theoretical framework of contextual analysis, in which the context is featured in four distinct interactive levels, and as containing meanings that facilitate the description and understanding of issues surrounding the phenomenon. We found thirteen texts which were organized in three levels of contextual issues: the nursing care under the immediate context; the working trainees, under the specific context; and the teaching hospital, as the metacontext. The study helped to identify the extracurricular work experience as a means of scientific and technical development of trainees in the nursing care provided in teaching hospitals, while involved in the context of the current professional world that may also be a silenced form of the precariousness of work.

The aim of this study is to understand the phenomenon lived by relatives who have a family member hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the used approach was the phenomenological one in the modality of the situated phenomenon. Ten family members of patients hospitalized in the ICU of a private hospital in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, were interviewed from March to July of 2006. Five thematic categories emerged from the analysis, which constituted the elements of the lived experience: Fear of the patient's death; Absence of humanization; Social isolation; Trust in the ICU and Overloading of personal life With the phenomenon revealed, it was possible to subsidize the construction of a humanized approach that looks on the patient's family.

Hansen's Disease is a contagious, milenar disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae that manifests itself in the cutaneal cells and the peripheral nerves. In the decade of 1990, the control for the disease was descentralized from the state to the municipality level. A northeastern state in Brazil implemented a series of training programs for health professionals in primary attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate these training programs, based on the opinions of the physicians and nurses in the family health teams. The results indicate that the professionals evaluated the training program positively as to its implementation and the achievement of its objective. It is concluded that the training programs need to continue with changes that can contribute to future programs.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationship between the concept analysis process and critical thinking skills in nursing. Utilizing a discursive essay approach, it is argued that the concept analysis technique enhances critical thinking. The steps of the concept analysis are analyzed as to the inherent cognitive operations that represent critical reasoning processes. Reflecting on an experience with undergraduate nursing students, the technique of concept analysis is evaluated as a didactic activity that enhances critical thinking. It is concluded that both processes complement each other in the rethinking of nursing and in confronting challenging practice situations.

Background: To enhance healthcare globally, successful academic partnerships between institutes of higher education are crucial to strengthen collaboration between countries and identify new ways of working. The desire to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity among childbearing women in north-east Brazil urged professional nurses to seek new ways of working through such a partnership. Reflections on the success of the link identify the key qualities uniting the partnership., Aims: This paper explores the key qualities of a higher education partnership between the United Kingdom and north-east Brazil. These qualities can act as a guide to other faculties engaged in such links to facilitate successful collaborative working for gains on both sides., Results: Critical reflections from both partners revealed that the key qualities identified are effective communication, deep commitment and the need for both partners to understand each other's context of care., Conclusions: Examination of each of these qualities illustrates that the shared perspectives, mutual respect and enriched educational experience are valuable and essential to successful partnership working. This critical reflection illustrates the process of success and how others can benefit from the lessons learned, whatever the nature of partnership. Understanding the nature of collaborative working has strengthened each education and practice community, encouraged them to take risks, and remain committed to collective success.

The purpose of the study was to verify the knowledge of male university students regarding induced abortion. The sample was comprised of 71 male students that corresponded to 70% of the population made up of students from different health related programs at a federal university. Data was collected in August and October of 1998, by means of a questionnaire that was based on two previous exploratory studies. The respondents were 17 to 22 years old, catholic, single and financially dependent. The results demonstrated that a large percentage of male students had knowledge of what an induced abortion was and of its consequences, as well as of the methods used to induce the fetal loss. The respondents expressed a negative opinion about abortion and placed the responsibility for such a decision on the couple. They also indicated that besides the woman, other individuals, such as friends and family members bared some responsibility for the decision to end or not a pregnancy.

This is an exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach that had as its purpose to characterize the educational activities of the nurses that work in the prevention and control program for sexually transmittable diseases and AIDS in the municipality of Natal, RN. The study ws conducted in the basic health care units with 10 (ten) nurses that implemented educational activities in AIDS prevention. A structured interview was used and content analysis techniques were applied to the data. It was identified that the majority of the nurses understood health education as the transmission of information and that the AIDS prevention program had insufficient actions, lacked structure in the service settings and institutional support by the Municipal Secretariat of Health. The program activities were characterized as traditional limited, sporadic, and lacking human and material resources.

This study aimed at identifying the role of the nurse with a graduate degree at the service level based on nurses and service directors expectations in health care institutions. A total of 278 nurses and 25 service directors responded to a questionnaire and an instrument was designed to measure their expectations towards the nurse with a postgraduation degree. The results indicate that nurses and service directors hope nurses with a postgraduation degree to be highly qualified to provide care. While service directors express a slight difference in favor of both the master degree and the deep knowledge of the specialty, nurses expectations in relation to it, are a little greater in all aspects. Service directors priorize refresh courses for nurses while nurses priorize specialization courses. The study has implications for a deeper discussion of these professionals functions in service and for the objective of postgraduate education programs in the region.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the "lato sensu" graduate programs of study of the Department of Nursing in the UFRN, and to know the perspectives of its students and faculty. A total of 67 questionnaires were applied to 14 professors and 53 ex-students. The sources of data were: a survey of the scientific knowledge produced by the faculty; specialization program final reports; partial 1989-1991 program evaluations; and, the final report of the first Graduate Program Evaluation Seminar (1992). Eventhough the results of the evaluation were positive, some aspects of the program were found to need further analysis so that future graduate studies might be improved. These aspects were: revision of the curriculum content, improvement of the space environment, and improvement of the bibliographic resources.