Abstract

CARVALHO, Francisca Ana Martins; ORIA, Mônica Oliveira Batista; PINHEIRO, Ana Karina Bezerra  and  XIMENES, Lorena Barbosa. Meaning of the labor process: perspectives of nursing students. Acta paul. enferm. [online]. 2009, vol.22, n.6, pp. 767-772. ISSN 0103-2100.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-21002009000600007.

Introduction: Education and training of nurses on all aspects of the labor process promote quality care to women in labor. Objective: To understand the meaning of the labor process by nursing students attending enrolled in the nursing course "Nursing Care Process III Woman." Method: Symbolic Interactionism served as the theoretical framework for this qualitative study. Data collection consisted of participant observation and unstructured interviews. Results: Labor was perceived as a symbol of pain, anguish, fear, and anxiety. The meaning of the labor process was to witness the physical and emotional suffering of women in labor. Conclusion: Nursing student experience in providing care during the labor process made the teaching-learning plan broader and suggested new perspectives to attend women in labor needs.

Keywords : Obstetrical nursing; Labor, Obstetric; Students, nursing; Teaching.