CHARACTERISTICS OF NURSING STUDENTS’ HEALTH EDUCATION PRACTICES

The objective was to describe characteristics of undergraduate nursing students’ Health Education practices. A descriptive and exploratory study was undertaken between February and June 2015 at a private higher education institution in Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. Using a standardized form, 60 activities students developed in the ninth and tenth course terms were analyzed. The main educational techniques used were: lecture, educative games and association of several techniques; mainly performed in primary care 38 (63%). The general theme varied according to the health care level, but the care/treatment orientation to specific groups was more common in 25 (42%) of the educative actions. In conclusion, the Health Education practices follow an eminently preventive model, marked by the presence of the playful.