Taking care of yourself to take care of the other: reflections of nursing professionals about self care

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the practices of nursing professionals of a Hospital Emergency and Emergency, directed to self-care; characterize them as the weekly schedule of work and ascertain the difficulties that are to take care of themselves. Method: This exploratory-descriptive and qualitative, performed with a nursing team in July 2009 in a Hospital Emergency and Emergency Campina Grande / PB / Brazil. The empirical material was analyzed using content analysis, having obeyed the precepts of Resolution 196/96, submitted to the Ethics Committee of the Centre for Higher Education and Development (CESED) which approved on 25/05/2009, No. 1846.0. 000405-09. Results: There was a perception of nursing professionals related to self-care; Practice of nursing directed to self-care for health maintenance, and difficulties encountered by practitioners for self-care. Conclusion: The practice of nursing directed to self-care showed negative aspects related to the theme.