MEANINGS OF EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE IN A CHEMICAL DETOXIFICATION CENTER

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the meaning attributed by student nurses regarding educational practices undertaken in a chemical detoxification center. It is exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research, carried out with 40 students from a private higher education institution in the Central Region of Rio Grande do Sul, in the period August – December 2010. The analyzed data resulted in the following categories: Attributing meaning to educational practice and The subjective expression of educational practice in the promotion of self-care. The students’ meanings for the educational practice indicate a possible change of paradigm regarding the training of nurses to act as health educators, and show the need for experiences supported by participative approaches which require the active involvement of all the social actors involved. In this regard, the need is stressed for teaching to provide practical experiences based in in a critical-reflexive framework regarding the educational dimension in the work of nurses.