ACTIONS PERFORMED BY THE NURSING TEAM IN PRENATAL CARE AT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING, CUIABÁ, BRAZIL

Abstract

In Brazil, specialized attendance at prenatal care is one of government policies addressed to pregnant women and developed by health professionals, including nurses. Considering the contributions of Brazilian nursing in reducing morbidity and maternal and infant mortality is that the study aimed to describe the actions taken by the nursing staff in prenatal city of Cuiabá, MT. A descriptive study involved 182 professionals of the nursing team, working in Primary Health Care in Cuiabá. Data were collected through non-participant observation and assistance of a check-list containing variables recommended by the Ministry of Health and the International Confederation of Midwives for specialized attendance at prenatal care. We used descriptive statistics for data tabulation. The study was approved by the Federal University of Mato Grosso Ethics Research Committee under number 694/2009. The results showed a low frequency of actions and practical essential competencies for qualified prenatal care. The development and implementation of a protocol for prenatal care to give direction to nursing consultation in prenatal care, is recommended.