Nursing consultation and diabetes: an educational and transformative process for primary health care

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the constituent elements that support nursing consultations with people with diabetes mellitus, and to develop an educational process based on the assumptions of the Chronic Conditions Care Model and mediated by a reflective-dialogical process with nurses, aiming to improve the quality of the practice in the Family Health Strategy. Method: convergent care research carried out with 12 nurses. Participant observation, semi-structured individual interviews and convergence groups were used to collect data, which were treated by participatory analysis, with an interpretative approach. Results: the promotion of self-care, the bond between professionals and users, and the support for lifestyle changes for people with diabetes were aligned with the proposed Care Model. On the other hand, attitudes, values and knowledge that weaken care were identified as divergent. The theoretical and practical deepening of the care model, diabetes, dealing with work overload, and the implementation of a guide and a protocol for the development of the nursing consultation were points of convergence for improving the quality of the consultation. It was also observed that nurses’ autonomy was strengthened, critical thinking was awakened, and the search for improvement and redefinition of the relationship with the user was sought. Conclusion: the nursing consultation was enhanced through the active participation of nurses in an educational, reflective and dialogical process.