Professional autonomy for perinatal nurses: Social perception of competences gained

Abstract

Objective: to determine, according to user perceptions, the type of autonomy exercised by perinatal nurses at a maternity facility with care provided exclusively by nurses. Methodology: this qualitative, descriptive study, conducted at a maternity facility from June to August 2016, was guided by Moscovici’s theory of social representations. The participants were 34 patients who received care during the perinatal phase. Data were codified from information obtained in interviews. Results: from the study, the following categories emerged: education, culture, humanism, gender and administration. Conclusion: users perceived a natural birth care model resting on care based on intercultural education, which made for humanized nursing care for mother, father and child.