Women's health nursing and national public programs and policies between 1984 and 2009

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and analyze women's health nursing actions in national health programs and public policies from 1984 to 2009. We adopted a qualitative methodology approach and data collection used document analysis. The study resulted in the nursing actions on national programs being divided into four scopes of care: direct care, education, administration and investigation. Although the nursing actions proposed by the national health programs and policies presented no significant changes nurses started to actually perform some of the measures specified in them. The documents published after the 80's acknowledged the nursing practice, its autonomy and the profession's technical and scientific competence.