This article reports on experience at the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência SAMU 192) of the Municipal Health Department of Porto Alegre, RS, relating to work developed by the Center for Continuing Emergency Care Education. The core needs and important advances in developing the activities are reported and a critical reflection on the process is presented. The article acknowledges the crucial relevance of establishing and maintaining processes of continuing education at SAMU units to improve services. However, it points out difficulties in accomplishing such processes, especially because of the way in which the mobile pre-hospital component of the work is organized. It concludes that investing in education incorporated within the work routine, as an effective continuous process adapted to everyday needs and strategy development needs, is a priority for management and for quality evaluation.
Permanent health education; In-service education; Emergency medicine