Perception of obstetrical nurses on the care model and practice in a philanthropic maternity hospital

Objective: to identify the perception of obstetric nurses about the healthcare model and practice in a philanthropic maternity hospital. Method: qualitative study of 13 obstetric nurses working in a Minas Gerais maternity hospital. Researchers used semi-structured interviews for data collection which took place from September 2015 to February 2016. Data analysis used content analysis. Results: the following categories emerged: Performance based on humanization and good practices; Professional autonomy; Professional mentoring during decision making; Teamwork and Performance Model. Discussion: research revealed that nurses are autonomous and work as a team; they did not single out a healthcare model and identified work demand and technocratic model as obstacles. Final considerations: management support is important for the professionals’ performance since it contributes to autonomy at work. Despite the progress made, there are still challenges both in terms of staff and communication, as well as management support.