This study analyzed the educational activities of nursing workers with the objective to survey the needs and expected outcomes, according to the workers' perception. This is a qualitative research, in which data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews performed with twenty-five workers in a teaching hospital in the municipality of São Paulo. The empirical material was submitted to thematic analysis. Results show that the needs are surveyed mainly based on technical performance issues and on the acquisition of new equipment; and that the expected outcomes, in the short term, are mostly the improvement in procedure performance and, in mid and long term, increasing their critical thinking towards work. In conclusion, there is a general perception about continuing education in terms of surveying the needs as well as for outcome expectations.
Education, nursing, continuing; Inservice training; Work