Competencies of nutritionists in the Primary Health Care

Abstract

Competency-Based Education proposes the use of a curriculum derived from the construction of a profile of competencies, which becomes a guide for the academic formation of a particular profession. The National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN) in Brazil have pointed to the construction of curricula with a focus on competencies. Seeking to contribute to this debate, this study aimed to build a profile of competencies for nutritionists in Primary Health Care (PHC) based on a review of the general competencies of health professionals in this area of care. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, with selection of consensus and studies on professional training, including guidelines and resolutions; the selected material was submitted to thematic analysis. The analysis categories found were grouped as follows: competencies related to the health system and the care model; competencies related to health care; humanistic and cultural competencies; social and communication skills; and technical and methodological skills. The results made it possible to draw a profile of competencies according to the intended objectives, being able to collaborate with the definition of guidelines for the training of nutritionists, with a focus on PHC.

Keywords:
Primary health care; Competency-based education; Nutritionists.