Integrality of healthcare as an educational competency of the nurse

The objective of this study was to identify the meaning of comprehensiveness as found in the discourse of those involved in primary nursing education. The methodological framework employed was historic and dialectical materialism. Thirty subjects were interviewed: five professors, five students, ten nurses, two managers and eight patients from two healthcare teaching clinics. Discourse was analyzed using the discourse analysis method. Although comprehensiveness takes on different meanings in the discourse of the respondents, they are all associated with comprehensiveness know-how, where healthcare is based on a true commitment and a sense of trust between professionals and patients. In conclusion, promoting the comprehensiveness of healthcare is a fundamental competency that needs to be further developed in primary nursing education.