Violência institucional no âmbito da saúde reprodutiva : a percepção de mulheres usuárias do SUS, na cidade de Natal/RN

Institutional violence ranges from the most widespread lack of access to the poor quality of services provided. It includes abuses committed by virtue of the unequal power between patients and professionals within institutions. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of women with regard to this type of violence, in the services offered at a reproductive health facility belonging to the National Health System (SUS) in Natal, Brazil. Interdisciplinary perspective is important, in that it provides interaction and complementarity between various disciplines, favoring, in an integrated way, a thematic approach in research activities, teaching and extension, involving professionals, students and researchers in medicine, social services, psychology, nursing, anthropology and physical therapy. A quantitative/qualitative approach was used, involving a sample of 401 women, as part of a transversal observational study. In the qualitative stage, which consisted of participatory observation and semi-structured interviews, we used an intentional sample of 10 individuals. The data were analyzed using logistic regression techniques, correspondence analysis and categorical thematic content analysis, showing that the 2 questions that investigated directly the perception of institutional violence obtained affirmative response frequencies of 28.2% and 31.8%, respectively. In regard to data collected in a field diary related to participatory observation, the main complaints referred to the health providerpatient relation, translated into dissatisfaction with the interpersonal relationship and with the resolution of the specific demand that required care. From content analysis, we classified 4 categories: Access; Information; Health professionalpatient relation; and Respect/dignity. We identified 6 subcategories: Impossibility of choice; Repressed demand; Communication difficulty; Asymmetric interpersonal relations; Privacy/confidentiality; Disrespect. We concluded, therefore, that the data presented show that in the reproductive health care programs, there are indicators of institutional violence. However, it is difficult to approach this phenomenon, mainly because of the power relations involved in the patient-health care provider interaction, resulting from unawareness that determinate situations violate sexual and reproductive rights. This can be explained by sociostructural questions that reveal marked inequalities, ratified by issues related to violation of the rights of National Health System (SUS) patients

Avaliação da atenção à saúde de portadores de HIV no centro de referência para o tratamento da Aids em Natal/RN por profissionais e usuários do serviço

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the health care of HIV/AIDS Reference Center for treatment of AIDS in Natal/RN for professionals and service users. Methods: This is an evaluative study with a quantitative approach, performed in the outpatient Giselda Trigueiro Hospital, in Natal (RN). The target population consisted of 313 patients with HIV and 34 professionals of the center. Data collection occurred from august 2007 to july 2008, with a structured form of interview, validated through a pilot study. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The evaluation of the service was considered unsatisfactory by 85.6% users. However, 58.8% of professionals considered it satisfactory. There was difference in the evaluation of the following indicators: the relationship professional users, offering support, timeliness of professional guidelines on the treatment. There was similarity in the following indicators: physical structure, respect for privacy, opportunity to make complaints, hospitality, convenience of schedules, availability of ARVs and laboratory tests, and ease of access. Conclusion: The results point to dissatisfaction of the users and professional satisfaction with the health care of people with HIV / AIDS in the service searched. It was found that the indicators used in this study may be considered relevant to evaluate the service in question, as well as monitoringparameters provide acceptable quality of health care by the National STD/AIDS

Prevalência e fatores associados à sintomatologia dolorosa e a qualidade de vida de odontólogos da cidade de Teresina-PI

Objective: Identify the factors associated to the painful symptomatology and the quality of life and in dentists in the city of Teresina-PI. Brazil. Methods It was accomplished a cross-sectional study with 175 dentists registered with the Regional Council of Dentistry-PI from March to May, 2007. For characterization of the dentists we used a multidimensional questionnaire containing sociodemographic (age, sex) and professional information (time of service, journey to work). The evaluation of the presence of pain was performed by the Protocol of Painful Symptoms of McGILL. The WHOQOL-Bref was used to assess quality of life through physical, psychological, social and environmental domains. Results / Conclusions The painful symptomatology was reported in 69,7% of individuals, being observed in 77.3% of women and 60.3% of men. Body regions where pain was prevalent was the regions of neck (69,2%) lower back (69,7%). The dentists had high levels of self-perception of quality of life satisfaction and health. 96,0% of the individuals reported quality of life as very good, and only 16.6% reported dissatisfied with health. The Physical and Environmental domains showed values higher than the psychological and social domains. The painful symptomatology of studied dentists is associated with female sex (RP=1.28; IC95% 1.04-1.58; p<0.01). A multivariate analysis by logistic regression was performed and only the painful symptoms (OR = 2.51, IC95% 1,21-5,21) remained associated with the quality of life of these professionals when adjusted for other variables studied

Juventude e consumo emocional nas redes sociais da internet. Análise das marcas: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, BlackBerry, Nokia, Riachuelo e C&A

In The paradoxical happiness , Gilles Lipovetsky elects five major paradigmatic models that command the pleasure and happiness in our societies. Starting with the paradigmatic models of penia (where it is emphasized the existential dissatisfaction supplied by the consumption and where advertising has a special place, bombarding consumers and creating consumer needs, in addition to selling a lifestyle rather than the products themselves), and narcissus (model constructed on the basis of self-exaltation and abdication of the social and political) intends to examine the relationship between the consumption exercised by young people and the advertising displayed on social networking sites, focusing on the social media Facebook, observing the virtual fan pages of the following brands: Coca-Cola; Pepsi; BlackBerry, Nokia, Riachuelo and C&A and their relationships with their consumers

Mediação como instrumento de desjudicialização das questões familiares: constitucionalização do Direito de Família

The Liberal Constitutionalism emerged from the late eighteenth century, a period of major revolutions (French and American), fruit of the struggle for libertarian rights. Although the time of the first written constitutions, these were linked to mere political letters, did not provide for fundamental human rights, as it is, so only on the state organization, structure of powers, division of powers of the state and some relations between state and individuals. There was a clear division between the civil codes and constitutions, those governing private relations and acted as barriers to non-state intervention. After the Second World War, the constitutions are no longer Letters political order to establish how the human person, in order to enshrine the fundamental rights, the primacy of constitutional principles and take their normative function against ordinary legislator. Constitutional evolution gave the name of contemporary constitutionalism, based on repersonalization or despatrimonialização of Private Law, ceasing the separation of legislative civil codes and constitutions, in favor of the protection of fundamental rights of the human person. And this tendency to the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 brought higher ground the dignity of the human person, the epicenter axiological legal to govern private relations, including family law. The constitutionalization of family law motivates the adoption of desjudicialização family issues, so as to respect the direio intimacy, privacy, private autonomy and access to justice. Conflictual family relationships require special treatment, given the diversity and dynamism of their new compositions. The break in the family relationship is guided in varied feelings among its members in order to hinder an end harmonic. Thus, the judiciary, through performances impositive, not to honor the power of decision of the parties, as also on the structural problems faced to operate on these cases, the environment is not the most appropriate to offer answers to the end of family quarrels. Situation that causes future demands on the dissatisfaction of the parties with the result. Before the development of the Family Law comes the need to adopt legal institutions, which monitor the socio-cultural, and that promote an effective assistance to people involved in this kind of conflict. In obedience to the private autonomy, before manifestations of volunteers involved in family mediation, among autocompositivos instruments of conflict resolution, is indicated as the most shaped the treatment of family quarrels. Remaining, then the state a minimal intervention to prevent excessive intrusion into private life and personal privacy

Compreendendo a educação para a inclusão digital: uma análise dos sentidos atribuidos pelos monitores das escolas de inclusão digital e cidadania da EMATER-RN

According to the methodological presuppositions of the understanding interview (KAUFMAAN, 1996), the present work aims to understand the Digital Inclusion starting from the oral speeches of eight monitors of Digital Inclusion and Citizenship Schools of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company EMATER, located in municipal districts that belong to six regions of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It also had the intention to analyze it (the Digital Inclusion), while educational process and its relation with the citizenship. In its first part, an analysis of the discussions about digital inclusion was developed, and a reflection about the new technologies in current times, followed by a contextualization of the rural space and the methodological course of the study, when its guiding axis and the travelled roads were presented, where the object of study is built slowly and progressively through a theoretical elaboration that increases day by day, as of the technologies forged in the field of research and formation of the subject. The second part presents the study of the collected information, that is organized in three chapters denominated as follows: Conceptions of the local context; What does digital inclusion mean? and The monitor as an educator. The reports do evidence a peculiar dissatisfaction with the social reality where they are found, that contradicts the positive reflections and perspectives of the studied authors, once that, within the actual conjuncture, the rural space has acquired another meaning, no longer being seen as a far late place. By trying to define the digital inclusion, the monitors make an association with change, the access to knowledge, active participation in society and improvement of the life conditions. Here a mission sense stands out, related to the ideological precept, which has been managing its activities. Towards the monitor‟s relation within the classroom, the senses evidence how they are and how they have been developing their daily activities. Tensions, fears and insecurities are identified, but at the same time, a compromise. The final considerations implicate to the need of reorientations in the formative process of this professionals, detaching the importance of their activities while agents of inclusion and social transformation

Qualidade de vida na perspectiva de idosos institucionalizados no Município de Natal - RN

A descriptive and exploratory Study, quantitative in nature, with the aim to assess the Quality of Life (QL) of the elderly leaving in a Long Residence Institution (LRI) according to their own perception. It was conducted in six Public Institutions of Long Residence for Seniors, in the municipality of Natal - RN, in the period of July to August 2007. The data was collected using two structured interview forms: the first, containing questions about socio-demographic aspects and the second - the WHOQUOL-OLD, prepared by the World Health Organization to assess elderly s quality of life. The reference population was 266 old persons, and a random sample, of 43, being 28 women and 15 men, who account for 30%. The results indicated there is a predominance of older women (65.1%) and the average age is 76.6 years; the predominant religion is the Catholic - 44.2% and, 32.6% are unmarried without children. As for schooling and precedence, 41.9% are illiterate and 67.4% come from the rural area. The time of residency in the institution goes between 1 to 5 years for 69.8% of the elderly, 37.2% of them residing in the institution for not having another option. Most elderly informed using medicines. 51.3% said they are taking anti-hypertensive. As for the other aspects of QL: sensory aspects, autonomy, past, present and future activities, social participation, death and dying and intimacy, the WHOQOL-OLD, showed an average total score of 52.9% (scale of 0 to 100), with a tendency to neutrality, denoting that the elderly, in this study, evaluated their QL as neither satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Of all the facets of the instrument of QL, the sensory facet secured the highest average scores (68,1%), showing that the elderly are "happy" in the situation in which they find themselves, not showing significant disabilities. The facet of autonomy, which refers to the independence and the ability to make decisions on their own life, received the lowest average scores (40.7%), showing the dissatisfaction of the elderly on this aspect. The evaluation of the elderly on other facets were: social participation (48.2%); activities past, present and future (44.6%) and intimacy (50.6%), all perceived as neither unsatisfactory or satisfactory. On the item death and dying, the elderly people declared themselves satisfied, with average score of 65.5%. The analysis of the reliability of the WHOQOL-OLD by the Cronbach Alpha showed 0.57, considering the 24 items that cover the instrument, showing regular internal reliability of the instrument, in our reality. The result is probably due to differences between the regions south and east and the broader sociocultural diversity. We believe that the elderly in this study, tended to realize their QL as neutral, considering it as neither unsatisfactory or satisfactory, result likely related to the resignation with the destine, characterized, at the time, by the finitude of life, feeling very common among elderly, or perhaps, even for an accommodation, often accompanied by discouragement, present in the daily life of many of them

Hospital de Pediatria da UFRN: resgatando memórias na construção da história

This study deals with a historical, descriptive and exploratory approach aiming to recall the origin and trajectory of the Pediatrics Hospital at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. This research also deals with the insertion of the nursing department in the same Hospital. This was realized through existing records and discourse collected through interview of professionals-doctors, nurses, midwifes, nursing attendants and psychologists. Thus, a network was established and consisted of qualified informants, composed through reference analysis. Data treatment and analysis was performed based on the collection of oral data. The data was considered according to the font s context, all of which depending on process of comprehension and interpretation. The research was based on the main theme, through oral history used in order to build a historical background. These main themes were then subdivided and other discourses were made present such as: the historical scene, the dream came true and the insertion of nursing, present in the history construction; all of which enabled the research. Thus, in this process, it was possible to identify the most important characters of the origin of children s health services organization and assistance at Rio Grande do Norte. It was possible to perceive that this institution aimed to initiate health services that dealt with an education for future generations. This was observed through the creation of the Faculty of Medicine of Natal and as a consequence, the installation of a Pediatrics Hospital that dealt with medical education. The research made evident that the nursing contributed for a structuring of quality health assistance towards children, even though the resources and working conditions were scarce, extensive work shifts and low professional qualification. It was observed that the there was change in the category s profile, once nurses were introduced in the service. Once this happened, changes in mentality, and innovative processes as well as professional conducts were established. The distinctive relation between acting and doing of doctors and nurses were also dealt with. Thus, the first item is done towards the idealization, projection and prescription. The second issue deals with concretization in realization of something that was not projected and realized, causing suffering and unsatisfaction. At the end, it was possible to confirm that oral history is a very rich element and it is possible through subjects that build history, through their perceptation of the facts and the context in that their are inside

A banalização da injustiça social no cotidiano de trabalho : a propósito da violência no trabalho e ameaça à saúde do trabalhador

Analyzes the factors that unleash violence by banalization of the problems and health questions of workers in a federal public institution, in Natal/RN. It analyzes transformations in the world of the work, with its politic, social and economic determinatives and its relation to the worker health. Boarding the violence in the work enviroment and its implications to the worker health, focusing on the banalization of problems faced by the workers as a kind of violence in and with the work. It was chosen an analitic methodology with qualitative approach, through the collection tecnic and information analyzes according to the thematic oral history, with recorders of authorized personal narratives, through individual interview with a semi-structured guide. In the analyzis of results it were made empiric cathegories: the daily work enviroment and its influence to the worker profession and life; the violence presents in the work enviroment and its consequences to the worker life and health; the banalization of the social injustice, due to violence against the worker that broked their dreams concerned to the nursing contribution. The results revealed the ordinary work of these workers showing enviromental and organizational unhealthy conditions, caracterized by physical and tecnical insecurity; absence and disqualification of instrumental and human supplies; overload and complexity service; bad distribution of the duties and pressure to the deadline and productivity, producing tension, conflict and anxiety related to the users, colleagues, superiors and to the duties. In the work enviroment, it were identified a external violence, caracterized by physical and verbal aggresion, psychic suffering, worker depreciation; and internal, caracterized by: moral and psychological molestations and accupational structural violence. These kinds of violence bring consequences to the life, that is, professional, economic and moral order of factors and to the health by biological, mental and emocional factors. The banalization of social injustice during the daily work was discussed in the aspects of banalization of problems and work conditions, the health, qualification banalizations and professional valorization. The workers expectatives pointed out to the necessity of: secure conditions of work; trainning and tecnical assistance; politics of attention to the physical, mental and social health to the workers and their family. We conclude the enviromental and organizational conditions of the workers interviewed do not offer physical and tecnical security that they need to the execution of their activities, neither offer comfort or physical and psychological satisfactions. The politic the instituition has used points out to the depreciation and inhumanization of them producing feelings as unsatisfaction, frustation and indignation related to the institution and the work, bringing suffering and physical and mental sicking. We noticed the most terrible violence found in the work enviroment is the banalization of social injustice related do the problems and health of these workers, producing a slowly debility and simbolic death of their lifes. Therefore, it is necessary the implementation of a politic that promotes assurance, health and integral education, valorization and humanization of these workers

Sofrimento psíquico: representações sociais dos enfermeiros em ambiente hospitalar

We believe that the dissatisfaction arising from the lack of belief in the possibilities of change in the workplace, which cause difficulties to achieve professional results in the professional psychological distress that currently fits into the context of mental health. This is a qualitative, descriptive and representational research aiming to discover how the professional nurses represent the very psychological distress from work in the hospital environment. Aided and supported by specific objectives of identifying factors that generates this suffering and strategies for defense and confronting these professionals in the hospital. 22 nurses participated in this research, officials of the University Hospital Onofre Lopes, located in the city of Natal / RN, with length of service in the institution more than one year and less than five, and they accepted, by signing the Term of Free and Informed Consent, participate in the study. We use plurimethodological approach: a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview and the design-story with a theme adapted from Trinca with the support of the Theory of Social Representations and that nurses do in their psychological distress of the Central Core. We reviewed the data from the results generated by the ALCESTE software, based on hierarchical categorization downward, leading seven classes used as categories: Work process: completeness vs. incompleteness; labor contradiction of the nurse; qualitative aspects of interpersonal relationships; hospital surveillance: Challenges, muteness and neglect; Expectations, conflicts and feelings in the work process; Leisure: the other side of the work process, and Suffering generating aspects of in the work process. We consider the analysis of quarters generated by the program, which SLQ houses in the central core of the representations; the SRQ and the DLQ the intermediaries elements and the DRQ the peripheral elements that nurses do in their psychological distress. We analytically adequate results in the three belonging dimensions of social representations: the Subjectivity, the Intersubjectivity and Trans-subjectivity. We infer that the interpersonal relationship, the extra work, the deviation in the role of nurse show themself as the factors responsible for psychological distress of it. In that sense, the central core of SR of this profession is based on the level of trans-subjectivity and understood as a Social Representation controversy

Qualidade de vida em gestantes no contexto na Estratégia Saúde da Família

The pregnancy as a process in woman's life requires several biological, psychological, relational and socio-cultural changes for the preparation for motherhood. By modifying its capacity and, at the expense of these factors, it is observed that the physical, social and emotional problems experienced by women during pregnancy can affect their quality of life, especially related to health. It had as objectives of this research verifying the quality of life of women in the context of the Family Health Strategy in a municipality in Paraíba, in order to characterize the sociodemographic aspects, lifestyle habits, and obstetric care of pregnant women and to characterize the fields of quality of life of pregnant women according to the WHOQOL-bref. This is a descriptive exploratory study with cross-sectional and quantitative approach. The population consisted of 120 pregnant women in primary care in the municipality of Sousa-PB. Data collection occurred over a period of two months by the own master's degree student and two nursing students in applying a standard form about sociodemographic characteristics, and obstetric care and the WHOQOL-bref instrument. The data collected were organized into an electronic database of the Microsoft Excel application, coded, tabulated and presented in tables, charts and figures with their respective percentage distributions. Of the surveyed, the predominant were age group of 20 to 25 years, Catholic religion, with a steady partner, low education, no employment, wage income of 01 minimum wage. As for the data and obstetric care, almost all had never aborted and reported to the care received as excellent. The most frequent complaints were back pain and in lower abdomen. Regarding quality of life according to the WHOQOL-bref, dissatisfactions that predominated in the areas were in the physical pain and discomfort, sleep, rest, energy and fatigue. In the psychological domain, body image and appearance, memory, concentration and negative feelings. In the field of social relationships, sexual activity and the environment domain, the greatest dissatisfaction with facets scored: financial resources, leisure opportunities and transport. It is concluded that the quality of life of the users interviewed were deemed unsatisfactory for these facets, indicating that assistance to this target audience should be done comprehensively and holistically, in order to accommodate the affected facets to improve the quality of life pregnant women attended in primary care

Relações interpessoais no ambiente de trabalho da equipe de enfermagem: uma ação comunicativa

The current study strives to address the interpersonal relationships of the nursing team from the perspective of the communicative action, by contributing to the health work process. It aims to analyze the interpersonal relationships of the nursing team in its work environment. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. Data collection wal held from interviews, guided by a script with open questions. The study was conducted at a state hospital in the city of Natal/RN/Brazil. The research subjects were the workers of the nursing team, including nurses, nursing technicians and nursing assistants, totaling 16 subjects. The capture of information was performed in April 2012. The project was approved by the Ethics Research Committee, under CEP/UFRN protocol n. º 262/11 and Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Consideration n. º 0289.0.051.000-11. The analysis was performed from the categories that emerged from the research through a dialogue with the authors studied in the theoretical framework of the Theory of communicative action , by Jürgen Habermas, as well as The changing in the world of work, by Ricardo Antunes, and Characterization of the team , by Marina Peduzzi. The outocomes point out that the interpersonal relationship of the nursing team is very troubled, with no interaction among the individuals involved in this process, among themselves and with other health professionals. We have developed a particular concept about team, which is comprised of three essential elements: multiplicity of individuals, common objective and heterogeneity. In the studied environment, it was realized the existence of grouping teams. The interpersonal relationship of the nursing can be a facilitator or an obstacle in the workplace in such a way that causes positive or negative consequences, both to the health workers, and to the sicks. In this context, the interviewees have intensified their viewpoints with regard to the weaknesses that permeate the nursing relationship, by pointing them more frequently than the strengths. The work conditions have signaled a failing situation, which is evidenced by the constant improvisation process before the lack of human and material resources, low wages, deficit in recognizing the nursing worker, and physical and emotional wear, by creating a professional exhaustion. The devaluation of the worker also became a strong factor for this study, because it was characterized a reason of job dissatisfaction, due to the lack of valuation policies, which should be prepared by the institution or, even, they are unknown by the worker itself. The worker participation in the design of these policies has emerged as a relevant factor. The poor work conditions lead the worker to a process of professional demotivation and dissatisfaction, by causing the feeling of devaluation within its work environment. Hence, it was found in this research that the lack of communication leads to situations of inadequate interpersonal relationships, which are creators of an unsuitable environment for the performance of the nursing team

Gestão da satisfação e fidelidade do cliente : um estudo dos fatores que influenciam na satisfação e fidelidade dos clientes corporativos de telefonia celular

The competition in the telecommunications industry has grown in Brazil since the privatization, forcing companies that are active in the market to a growing commitment to quality products and services in order to survive. In this context, this work aims to understand the main factors that influence the degree of satisfaction exists in respect of a mobile operator with its corporate customers. The research covered theoretical concepts and analytical models of quality management system and models of indices related to the measurement of customer satisfaction. For the field research was carried out in a practical application of the main approaches based on this thesis by a case study in corporate segment, through a questionnaire applied to 10 consultants and 40 corporate customers of that company. Comparing the results of research with the consultants and corporate clients there is the concern of respondents to the indicators that comprise the constructs of customer satisfaction, commitment calculated, the price index and the handling of complaints, denoting the dissatisfaction of the general assessment for corporate customers with the carrier, against its current expectations. It is concluded that the mobile operator of the telecommunications industry have a big challenge, after ten years of privatization and consequently the period of rapid expansion of customer base and with the depleted, retain corporate customers as highly strategic, thus avoiding that migrate to other companies. We emphasize the need for further research and analysis of different approaches through research and using the same models to specifically evaluate and measure customer satisfaction of mobile enterprise, to adjust the model to the national market. Finally, we suggest the creation of an effective customer loyalty program with a strategy of relationship and specific to the corporate sector of mobile telephony

Determinação de Chaveamento para Recomposição do Serviço em Redes de Distribuição de Energia Elétrica em Média Tensão Através de Métodos Baseado em Parâmetros de Sensibilidade

The reconfiguration of a distribution network is a change in its topology, aiming to provide specific operation conditions of the network, by changing the status of its switches. It can be performed regardless of any system anomaly. The service restoration is a particular case of reconfiguration and should be performed whenever there is a network failure or whenever one or more sections of a feeder have been taken out of service for maintenance. In such cases, loads that are supplied through lines sections that are downstream of portions removed for maintenance may be supplied by the closing of switches to the others feeders. By classical methods of reconfiguration, several switches may be required beyond those used to perform the restoration service. This includes switching feeders in the same substation or for substations that do not have any direct connection to the faulted feeder. These operations can cause discomfort, losses and dissatisfaction among consumers, as well as a negative reputation for the energy company. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a heuristic for reconfiguration of a distribution network, upon the occurrence of a failure in this network, making the switching only for feeders directly involved in this specific failed segment, considering that the switching applied is related exclusively to the isolation of failed sections and bars, as well as to supply electricity to the islands generated by the condition, with significant reduction in the number of applications of load flows, due to the use of sensitivity parameters for determining voltages and currents estimated on bars and lines of the feeders directly involved with that failed segment. A comparison between this process and classical methods is performed for different test networks from the literature about networks reconfiguration

Atividades experimentais no ensino de biologia em escolas públicas do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil: caracterização geral e concepção de professores

Recent research has revealed that the majority of Biology teachers believe the practice of experimental activities as a didactical means would be the solution for the improvement of the Biology teaching-learning process. There are, however, studies which signal the lack of efficiency in such practice lessons as far as building scientific knowledge is concerned. It is also said that despite the enthusiasm on the teachers‟ part, such classes are rarely taught in high school. Several studies point pedagogical difficulties as well as nonexistence of a minimal infrastructure needed in laboratories as cause of low frequency in experimental activities. The poor teacher performance in terms of planning and development of classes; the large number of students per class; lack of financial stimulus for teachers are other reasons to be taken into account among others, in which can also be included difficulties of epistemological nature. That means an unfavorable eye of the teacher towards experimental activities. Our study aimed to clarify if such scenario is generalized in high schools throughout the state of Rio Grande do Norte Brazil. During our investigation a sample of twenty teaching institutions were used. They were divided in two groups: in the first group, five IFRN- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte schools. Two of those in Natal, and the other three from the country side. The second group is represented by fifteen state schools belonging to the Natal metropolitan area. The objectives of the research were to label schools concerning laboratory facilities; to identify difficulties pointed by teachers when performing experiment classes, and to become familiar with the conceptions of the teachers in regarding biology experiment classes. To perform such task, a questionnaire was used as instrument of data collecting. It contained multiple choice, essay questions and a semi-structured interview with the assistance of a voice recorder. The data analysis and the in loco observation allowed the conclusion that the federal schools do present better facilities for the practice of experimental activities when compared to state schools. Another aspect pointed is the fact that teachers of federal schools have more time available for planning the experiments; they are also better paid and are given access a career development, which leads to better salaries. All those advantages however, do not show a significantly higher frequency regarding the development of experiments when compared to state school teachers. Both teachers of federal and state schools pointed infra-structure problems such as the availability of reactants, equipments and consumption supplies as main obstacle to the practice of experiments in biology classes. Such fact leads us to conclude that maybe there are other problems not covered by the questionnaire such as poor ability to plan and execute experimental activities. As far as conceptions about experimental activities, it was verified in the majority of the interviewees a inductive-empiric point of view of science possibly inherited during their academic formation and such point of view reflected on the way they plan and execute experiments with students