Perceptions of nurses about the influence of the infrastructure in their practices

Abstract

This is a qualitative descriptive study, aiming at analyzing how nurses of the traditional basic health units of the municipality of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, perceive the influence of the infrastructure in their practices. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, applied to five nurses that work in these places. The technical analysis of thematic content was used. For nurses, deficiencies in the physical structure harm their practice, when they limit the actions that are beyond those recommended by the biomedical model, disrespect the user and make difficult the fulfillment of actions in a problem-solving way. The faulty equipment influences the nurse-mediated practices making it impossible to act on a problem-solving manner, including the fact of having to continuously request for its maintenance and replacement. Lack of material and inputs hinder the development of adequate clinical care. The study also shows the need for the adequacy of the physical structure and improvement in the availability and maintenance of equipment and inputs that are important for the quality of health care.