Aquisição de saberes para atuação do nutricionista na atenção primária: percepção de discente do curso de nutrição de uma universidade de Alagoas

Abstract

This course completion work of the Professional Master's Degree in Health Education of the Medical School of the Federal University of Alagoas is composed of the dissertation and the result that, together, make up the TACC. Nutritional care is defined as a set of food and nutritional security actions within public health settings. Nevertheless, in Brazil, descriptions of actions and guidelines on food and nutrition carried out by the academy or by Primary Health Care (PHC) teams are still insufficient for deeper understanding. The curricula of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) generally contemplate the levels of complexity of health care of the Unified Health System (SUS), with little integration between disciplines and not always suggest the use of active methodologies during practical and theoretical classes. The general goal of this TACC and of the research upon which it was based is to verify the perception of undergraduate students of a nutrition course at a public university in the northeast of the country, mainly in activities in primary care, in the necessary theoretical assimilations for the professional performance in health, specifically in this level of health care. Data collection was carried out according to the state decree for quarantine periods due to the covid-19 pandemic. The research data were captured from online interviews, from July to September 2021. This is a case study with a qualitative approach. The research subjects were seven students. For data analysis, the thematic content analysis technique of Malheiros (2011) was used, which led to the election of three categories: The training process and performance of the nutritionist in PHC; Academic practices in the nutrition course; finally, PHC as a scenario in which nutritionists work. The results obtained show the need for more training experiences opportunities, being the field of practice an important component for the nutritionist’s performance and experience, regarding the primary care. Experiences in practical situations in this scenario, during graduation, appear in an incipient way, which makes us conclude that there is a need to promote strategic partnerships, sharing the benefits, risks and control of joint actions, besides making continuous contributions in areas previously established between education and health institutions to qualify the training process. Finally, as an educational product related to the research, a webinar on the role of nutritionists in PHC was developed. The goal was to discuss the presence of nutritionists in different scenarios of primary health care, to be disseminated among students, teachers, nutritionists, other health professionals and those interested in the subject. The event, through its results, proved to be relevant for student learning, for the improvement of teaching-learning practices in services and the speakers demonstrated that it is possible to articulate theory and practice in the future workplace.