O educando com síndrome de down: um estudo sobre a relação entre pais e profissionais na escola regular

This work makes a documental analise about the relationship between families of Down syndrome students and professionals of who teach them, in order to improve the process of developing teaching-learning, in an inclusive perspective. For this, we use a qualitative approach, because we believe that the object of research is not a passive and neutral knowledge, since it has meanings and relationships whose can be better interpreted and understood by the researcher in a real and active situation. For the development of this research, a bibliographical review was made about the subject, and a case studied in two regular education schools, both of them at the city of Natal/RN, one public and another one particular. We work on these educational institutions with professionals and parents of Down syndrome students. As an instrument of building information we used a semi-structured interview and to analise the results a qualitative method. Crossing the stages, we noticed: the pedagogical coordinators who made up both analyzed schools showed interest about doing an effective work with parents, regardless of Educational Policy Project of each school, predict or not the participation on educational undertaken process; On teachers discourses, reporting the relationship with the family, we realize that one of those teachers try to keep a good relationship with parents, permeated by learning exchanges, guidance and knowledge, in relation to another one, even existing an apparent openness to dialogue, when parents have any suggestions or criticism, that attitude is not always well coming. From the parents interviews, we can emphasize, first of all, that both of them recognize the benefits of inclusion, with regard to socialization - in general from the coexistence with pairs and the process of teaching and learning, as shown in a consistent way. Regarding school meetings with teachers, the studied parents agree about importance of such appointments and try to attend them, besides the other events organized by the school, beyond keeping individual touch with the teacher, when necessary. They are always present, looking for get envolved in everything that happens at school, in order to know better what is being done, listening and may suggest alternatives to improving the educational process. We perceive, from the study undertaken, that although the school inclusion is not an easy process to be built, is something that could be achieved. For this, is necessary that professionals of education and families recognize their functions in the educational process and act jointly on this direction

Risco à saúde representado pelo consumo de leite cru comercializado clandestinamente

Foram submetidas às contagens de microrganismos mesófilos, Staphylococccus coagulase positiva, e às determinações do número mais provável (NMP) de coliformes totais e de coliformes fecais, 60 amostras de leite cru comercializado clandestinamente nos Municípios de Botucatu e de São Manuel, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram a ocorrência de 41 (68,3%) e 50 (83,3%) amostras com contagens de microrganismos mesófilos e de coliformes totais, respectivamente, acima dos limites máximos estabelecidos pelo Ministério da Saúde para o leite pasteurizado tipo C. Evidenciaram, ainda, a presença de 30 (50,0%) e 11 (18,3%) amostras contaminadas por cepas de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e por coliformes fecais, respectivamente. Apenas 5 (8,3%) amostras mostraram-se dentro dos referidos padrões legais.

Efeitos de um programa de intervenção precoce baseado no modelo mais que palavras - HANEN, para crianças menores de três anos com risco de autismo

In the last decades, studies on early intervention involving children with autism have suggested that there is no single intervention model capable of addressing the needs of all individuals in the spectrum. The role of parents as active intervention agents is, however, highly recommended. The More Than Words-HANEN Program has been specifically created for parents of children, under five years of age, who are in the autism spectrum. This intervention aims at improving the social competence and language comprehension of the child, as well as their parents empowerment. Until now only three studies have been performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the HMTW program. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of an early intervention program inspired on HMTW model on the level of caregiver responsiveness and child communication skills. The present study adds to the existing research literature on family-centered early intervention that uses a developmental paradigm. A two year boy in risk for autism, his mother and nanny took part in this investigation, which was carried out in the child´s home in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte. The caretakers were given one fifty-two hours of training, divided into thirteen weekly meetings. A quasi-experimental A-B-C design (baselineintervention- follow-up) showed improvement in the caretakers level of responsiveness and meaningful social-communicative gains in the child´s response

Herdabilidade de preditores do risco cardiovascular

genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of cardiovascular risk and that influence can be differentiated by factors characteristic of each population, age and sex. Aim: To investigate the heritability of anthropometric and biochemical markers as predictors of cardiovascular risk in men and women of different age groups, using the method of twins. Methods: A sample of 88 subjects and of these 52 children and adolescents (08-17 years old) 32 monozygotic (20 female and 12 male) and 20 dizygotic (12 female and 08 male) and 36 adults (18-28 years age) 24 monozygotic (08 female and 16 male) and 12 dizygotic (06 female and 06 male), living in the metropolitan region of Natal / RN, Brazil. Anthropometric measures were taken as the height, body mass, waist circumference (WC), sum of skinfolds (ΣDC), fat percentage CUN-BAE, BMI and conicity. Biochemical markers analyzed were: fasting glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (COL), HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides (TG). After processing the data the index of heritability (h2) = (S ² MZ) / S ² DZ (DZ S ²) X100 was applied disaggregated by sex and age. Results: The variables showed differential heritability of behavior for men and women, depending on age. The variables with the highest heritability values were ΣDC, GLU, HDL, TG, in men and BMI, WC, ΣDC, GLU, HDL-C and TG in women. And more influenced by the environment variables were: body mass, BMI, Chol, LDL-C in men; body mass and LDL-C in women. Conclusion: Differences index of heritability by gender for cardiovascular risk predictors may assist in planning specific intervention strategies according to gender and stage of life of that individual. It is from the level of environmental influence that can run interventions for changes of components related to cardiovascular risk

Sentimentos de profissionais de enfermagem diante da morte de recém-nascidos em uma unidade de terapia intensiva

To understand the feelings of nursing professionals when faced with the death of newborn babies in an intensive care unit is the purpose of this investigation. Motivation was triggered by the countless hardships we go through everyday, as professionals, and the scarcity of publications in this specific area of knowledge. The aim is to describe the experience of the nursing professionals and identify their feelings when faced with the death of newborn babies in an intensive care unit. As a methodological procedure, this research is based on a qualitative, phenomenology-focused approach and on the following leading question addressed to the interviewed nurses and nursing technicians who work at the unit: How do you feel when you are faced with the death of a newborn baby in the ICU at which you work? Answers to this question on such phenomenon revealed a diversity of feelings, such as, loss, guilt, failure, negation, compassion, and sorrow, coupled with anguish, fear, and anxiety, resulting in an experience of the sensitive world of everyone. Theoretical support to this analysis was based on works by authors who discuss phenomenology, as well as authors who study the theme of death. An understanding of the phenomenon thus studied enables us to affirm that the death of a newborn baby is, for the nursing professional who takes care of the baby in the space of the ICU, an experience of conflicting, sometimes painful feelings, on account of their complexity. This is true not only in respect of their feelings for the baby, but for the family as well, especially the parents

Vacinação e biossegurança: o olhar dos profissionais de enfermagem

The present study analyzes the conceptions and the nursing workers' practices about the relationship between vaccination and biosecurity in a public hospital of reference in communicable diseases in Natal/RN. It is treated, therefore, of a exploratory/descriptive study with qualitative and quantitative approach. They were constituted as collaborators of the research twenty-two nursing professionals, being five nurses, three auxiliary and fourteen technicians in nursing. The information were obtained through the interview technique with semi-structured route. In the quantitative approach, the information were analyzed by statistics and presented in form of tables and graphs to characterize the workers and the aspects related to the vaccination situation of the same ones; and in the qualitative approach, we used the method of content analysis. The analysis was accomplished starting from the categories empiric coming from the process of analysis of the field material, measure through inferences and interpretations based on the authors studied in the theoretical referential of the research. Starting from the analysis of the results, we verified that the nursing interviewees' workers establish in a clear way and it aims at, in your speeches, a direct relationship between vaccination and biosecurity besides attributing a meaning of great importance with relationship to the use of the vaccines in your professional lives in what refers to the control and decrease of the risks, above all the biological ones, to the which are exposed in the daily exercise of your functions. However, when analyzing those workers' vaccination situation, we verified that the vaccination covering still meets on this side of the expected for the vaccines of occupational interest, with prominence just for the vaccines against diphtheria and tetanus and to against hepatitis B, that presented coverings considered very good and above the national average. Considering that the institution, although has a service of health occupational active and offer some vaccines of occupational interest, it still presents a work of little mobilization in what refers to the consciousness and the workers' permanent education with relationship to the need and importance of the occupational vaccination, not only for your workers' protection, as well as measure in the infection control and, therefore, as safety for your patients/clients. We understood that that work type didn't still become politics guided by ministries of Health or of the Labor, however, it falls to the institutions that work for the interest of the workers' health to struggle for all and any action and mobilization that have as objective protects the workers of the risks in your work atmosphere

Representações sociais e práticas discursivas de profissionais do programa saúde da família sobre o pré-natal

The present study had the objective to identify to the Social Representations of the professionals of medicine and nursing superior level of the Program Health of the Family concerning the assistance for the gestation. The research was qualitative under the optics of the Theory of the Social Representations of Serge Moscovici, of the Central Nucleus of Jean-Claude Abric and of the Analysis of Content of Laurence Bardin. We worked with the following instruments for the collection of data: Questionnaires, with social-demographic data; Free association of Words, with the inductive terms Pregnancy, Assistance for Gestation and Care; Production of mental image and half-structuralized Interview, with the following question: What does the assistance for the gestation represent for you? . We interviewed all the professionals of nursing and medicine of the Program Health of the Family in the city of Santa Cruz /RN (ten for each profession) in the period of February and March of 2007. From the analysis of the social-demographics data, we respectively identified the following percentages for nursing and medicine: the feminine sex for nursing predominated (90%); the age between 24 and 33 (70 and 60%); the religion catholic (80 and 50%) and 50% of the two groups has up to two years of formation and work in the score of the research. The analysis of the others instruments resulted in two categories: Institutionalized vision and Vision of the Common-sense. In the free association of words, the category institutionalized vision is configured as Central Nucleus and of the common sense one as nucleus Peripheral, demonstrating that the Social Representations of the assistance for the gestation attendance are in the universes consensual. In the mental images, we identified to this same construction. In the content of the interviews, the institutionalized vision is permeated by the responsibility of making and the availability of having - assistance for the gestation is recommended by the Health department and necessary genders - while the vision of the common-sense can be represented by the category sort, whose role of professionals of the assistance for the gestation is to strengthen the responsibility for the woman of a maternity socially constructed. In short, the analyzed speeches reflect that, to the knowledge acquired in the academy, are incorporated in the knowledge of the daily professional, and conducted by popular myths. Medicine and nursing recognize the importance of the attendance in such a way for the chance to educate the women for the maternity as for the possibility to prevent complications, but in its speeches they had excluded from this process the masculine figure. We conclude that the meaning of the inductive term take care, part of the common-sense and is incorporated the institutionalized speech to humanize the assistance. However, the pregnancy ceases from being seen in its natural biological direction and starts to be analyzed as a moment of fragility and predisposition the illnesses. Finally, the social nursing and the central nucleus representations for the assistance in gestation for medicine is anchored in the speeches institutionalized and of the common-sense, reflecting the concern in establishing a humanized assistance with quality

Avaliação da qualidade da assistência aos portadores de úlceras venosas atendidos no ambulatório de um hospital universitário em Natal/RN

Study descriptive that was designed to assess the quality of care for people with venous ulcers (VUs) tended at the ambulatory of a university hospital in Natal / RN. The target population of the study was composed by 40 users bearers of venous ulcers served in the ambulatory of angiology of a university hospital in the level of tertiary education. The study received assent of the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Protocol No. 169/06). The collect of data was performed using a form of interview and tour with collection of measures biophysiologic, for a team comprised by the researchers and an academic of nursing, in the period of three months. The data were analyzed in SPSS 14.0, using descriptive statistics and presented in the form of charts, tables and graphs. Identified a clientele of holders of VUs predominantly female, married, aged up to 59 years, low level of education and household income, from Natal, retirees or those exercising professions and occupations that require long periods standing or sitting. In relation to the characteristics of health, those surveyed had risk factors for venous disease and had UVs chronic, located in Zone 2, lost tissue in grade II and serous exudates on average quantity. The assistance to holders of UVs has been characterized by a lack of professional nurses and unavailability of products for the realization of the right curative in ambulatory and outside it; by the inadequacy of products used in VUs, for long periods of treatment without resolution, where the compressive therapy is not priority, by the lack of completeness in the levels of assistance; by monitoring the bearer of UVs only by doctors and the nurses, even with the other team of professionals in the health service; by the completion of guidelines by health professionals and the lack the standardization of conducting laboratory and specifics tests. The assistance was assessed as inadequate in aspects: reference and counter-reference (75.0%), number of consultations with angiologists last year (87.5%), documentation of the clinical findings (85.0%), use of compressive therapy in the past 30 days (77.5%), part of the team interdisciplinary (97.5%), completion of laboratory and specifics tests in the last year (100%), availability of products used in achieving the curative in ambulatory (80, 0%), and indication of products used in the conduct of dressing outside the clinic (70.0%) and appropriate in the guidelines made on the use of socks, lifting of the members and prescription of exercises regular (82.5%) and indication products used in achieving the curative in ambulatory (97.5%). We conclude that the assistance provided to holders of UV was inadequate in 80% of cases interviewed, becoming non-resolutive and assistematic

Interação entre a equipe de enfermagem e a gestante com diagnóstico de pré-eclâmpsia

The objective of this exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach was to analyze the perception of the nursing team and the pregnant women hospitalized with pre-eclampsia regarding the interactive process occurring in the care relationship. Data were collected by semi-structured interview with twenty nursing professionals that work in the high-risk ward and ten pregnant women with the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. The discourses were analyzed using the content analysis method, in the modality of thematic identification. Three categories were identified that describe the perception of the interaction by the nursing professionals: recognizing the needs of the hospitalized pregnant woman, understanding the woman with pre-eclampsia, and presenting difficulties in the interactive process. With regards to the pregnant women, four categories emerged: recognizing the clinical care, feeling the lack of information, experiencing feelings during the hospitalization, and envisioning the interaction process. The meaning of the discourses was analyzed according to the principles of symbolic interactionism. The results indicate that both, the nursing professionals and the pregnant women, have a limited perception of their interaction, suggesting a need for further reflection about this reality in the health service units and in the nursing education environment

Dificuldades e/ou facilidades vivenciadas pelos profissionais que compõem a Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Descriptive and quantitative study, with the objective of review the positive and negative aspects experienced by professionals working in the Family Health Strategy (ESF) of Ceará-Mirim town, at Rio Grande do Norte state. The population included 190 healthcare professionals that integrate the family healthcare staff and the data-collection occurred in a meeting at their workplace, with the implementation of a questionnaire. Results were organized in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, with descriptive statistical analysis in tables, graphs and tables through frequencies, averages values and standard deviations. There is a predominance of females (n = 137) and higher rates in almost all professions, and higher average age (38.9%, SD = 7.8) and income wage (average = 10) in the medical category. Regarding the more developed activities, for physicians and nurses are the healthcare actions in the Unit, the oral hygiene for dentists, the immunization for auxiliary nurses (Aux-N), educational meeting for the dental office assistants (ACD), and home visitations to community-based health workers (ACS). About the easiness of work, 93.2% said to be presence of professionals with a personal profile in public healthcare; about the difficulties, 86.8% of professionals cited the unavailability of material, followed by salary range reported by nurses (80.9% ), dentists (80.0%), physicians (73.3%), ACS (83.1%), and Aux-N (90.5%). In relation to working conditions, the unavailability of materials was the most mentioned, with the exception of dentists who reported improvement in wages. We still identify among these difficulties: the drugs availability regarded as first grade obstacle by ACS and physicians, the type of contracts in second grade cited by the ACD and dentists and, in third grade, the salary range cited by dentists and auxiliary nurses. It is concluded that the difficulties and easiness faced by ESF professionals are divergent among themselves. For physicians and nurses, whose healthcare actions become directed to specific groups, the individual and the family, their difficulties relate to the unavailability of materials. For dentists, whose actions more quoted were topical application of fluoride and supervised toothbrush, their greatest difficulty is the salary range. As to the Aux-N, ACD and ACS, for all of them the unavailability of materials has hindered the implementation of their activities in ESF

Beirando a vida, driblando os problemas: estratégias de bem viver

The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies used by families living in at-risk-and-vulnerable situations registered with the Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) ( Family Health Strategy ) as they face their daily problems. This is an investigation of a qualitative nature, using interview as the main tool for an empirical approach. Ten women from the Panatis location in northern Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, whose families live in precarious social-economical situations were interviewed. The interviews occurred between the months of April and June, 2007. The reports revealed that a mixture of improvisations and creativity was used as strategies for overcoming the privations and necessities of daily life. We also reached the conclusion that these families sought solutions for their problems through religiosity and a gift reciprocity system as resources for obtaining personal recognition and support in adversity. The results, in addition, point to ESF as one of the strategies used by these families in the search for attention and care. From this perspective, ESF has proven to be a place for listening and the construction of ties that are consolidated through home visits, organized groups, in parties and outings that are promoted in the community, reestablishing contact and support among people and signaling a way out of abandonment and isolation. Holders of knowledge constructed through life experiences, the participants of the study led us to induce and infer the need to amplify space that will allow them to express meanings, values and experiences, and consider that becoming ill is a process that incorporates dimensions of life that go beyond the physical. As health professionals, we need to be aware of the multiple and creative abilities used in the daily lives of these families, so that we can, along with them, reinvent a new way of dealing with health

Uma intervenção educativa para profissionais de saúde na prevenção de pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica

Quasi-experimental study, prospective with quantitative approach, performed at the Hospital do Coração in Natal, aimed at verified the existence of difference between the care given by health professionals to the patients under mechanical ventilation (MV) in the Intensive Care Unit, before and after an educative intervention. The population was of 31 professionals, with data collected between november 05 of 2007 to march 27 of 2008. The results show a yong population, female gender, middle level of education, nursing technique, working between 05 and 09 years on nursing profession, and 01 to 04 years on Intensive Care Unit; almost all, never had an kind of training over prevent pneumonia associated to mechanical ventilation; from those that had training, occur on the work place with duration from 12 to 24 hours. About endotracheal intubation, the cuff was tested with a sterilized syringe had a positive change after a educative intervention, increased from 75,0% to 100,0%; the sterile guide was used on 75,0% before and 100,0% after an educative intervention. Regarding endotracheal suction procedure, was not informed to the patient on 72,7% before, however was informed on 56,7% after; the hands was not previously washed 68,5% before, however was 63,3% after the procedure; mask was used on 74,2 % opportunities before and 76,7% after; the aspiration catheter had adequated size on 98,9% observation before and 100,0% after; the gaze was sterilized on 95,7% before and 100,0% after; the ventilator was connected to the patient during the aspiration intervals on 94,4% observation before and 100,0% after; the ambu bag was clean and protected on 76,1% before and 85,7% after; the aspiration catheter was discarded after be used on 98,9% before and 100,0% after; FIO2 was turned to the begging value on 32,9% observation before and 12,0% after; before the procedure 71,9% professions washed their hands and 73,3% after; before, notes of aspiration results were performed on 70,8% observation and 86,7% after. Regarding devices used on respiratory tract, aspirator flasks were not swapped on 84,6% observations before and 71,0% after; daily látex extention change was not performed on 93,6% observation before and 87,1% after; the ambu bag change was not performed on 50,0% observation before even if was duty or unprotected and on 75,8% opportunities was changed, after; nebulization was not prepared with sterile fluids or manipulated aseptically on 65,2% observation before, perhaps was on 71,7% after; before nebulizers were not changed on 65,2% observations, perhaps were on 60,9% after. Concerning ventilator breathing circuits, condense fluids cumulated on circuits were removed on 55,0% opportunities before, and 64,0% after; moisturizer was not filled with sterile water when already had small amount of liquid inside on 78,4% observations before, and 90,2% after; MV circuits were changed on 97,0% observations on presence of visible duty or when presents some kind of failure, before and 98,4% after. About body position, on 51,3% observations the decubitus position change were done before and 78,2% after; fowler position was maitened on 95,5% observations before and 98,2% after; Regarding respiratory physiotherapy, enteral diet was not interrupted before respiratory physiotherapy on 94,9% before and 90,0% after; respiratory physiotherapy devices were not disinfected or sterile on 69,6% observations before but they re on 60,0% after; before the cateter was not tested before introduction enteral diet or medications on 100,0% but after was done on 15,2%. About enteral feeding, intestine motility and measure of stomach contents were not done on 100,0% observations before, but was 15,2% after. We conclude that 05 of 07 valuated procedures in relation to MV, had a significant improvement on quality of care given after educative intervention, when compared before intervention

Úlcera de pressão em pacientes internados em um hospital universitário em Natal/RN: condições predisponentes e fatores de risco

The pressure ulcers (PU), also known as decubitus ulcers, are defined as injuries caused by the constant pressure exerted on a particular point of the body, causing impairment of blood supply with a decrease or interruption of tissue irrigation, causing occlusion of blood vessels and capillaries, ischemia and cell death. This is a descriptive study with longitudinal design, and panel type, with quantitative approach that aimed to examine the association between predisposing conditions (PC), intrinsic factors (IF) and extrinsic factors (EF) with the occurrence of PU, in hospitalized patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), pain clinical, surgical clinical and neurology wards of a university hospital. The study population was composed of all patients who were restricted to bed during the period from December 2007 to February 2008. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of HUOL / UFRN (No 135/07). The data-collection took place through a structured formulary of observation, data from medical records and physical examination of patients skins. The results were organized in SPSS 15.0 software, tabulated, categorized and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 30 patients studied, 43.3% had been hospitalized in the pain clinical and surgical clinic wards, 20.0% in the ICU, 20.0% in the ICU / ward and 16.7% in neurology, being the length of hospitalization in those units of 7 to 18 days (63.3%) and from 19 to 30 days (36.7%), predominantly female and aged ≥ 60 years (60.0%). 19 PU were diagnosed in 43.3% of patients monitored, being 38.5% with one PU between 7 to 18 days and 46.2% with two or more between 19 to 30 days of hospitalization, showing significant relationship (ρ-value = 0029) between length of hospital stay and the number of PU. Was found an association of 35.7% of the PC (cardio-respiratory, hematological, metabolic and psychogenic), IF (age group, oedema, skin changes in humidity and change of body temperature) and EF (type of mattress and strength of body pressure) for all patients studied, statistically significant (ρ-value = 0001), between the average scores in patients with and without PU, with reason chance to 12.0 for the development of PU and there was moderate correlation ( r = 0618) in the presence of this association. Results show the influence of the multiplicity of factors and conditions on the occurrence of PU, which brings us to reflect on the assistance focused on prevention and reduction of these injuries which will encourage the reduction of hospitalization length, physical and psychological suffering, and the possibility of improving the clinical condition of the patient.

Condutas de profissionais que realizam a consulta pré-natal na Estratégia Saúde da Família quanto à detecção, tratamento e acompanhamento da gestante com sífilis

The objective of this exploratory descriptive quantitative study was to analyze the behaviors in the detection, treatment and followup of the pregnant woman with syphilis, by health professionals that conduct the pre-natal consultation in the Family Health Strategy, as to the adherence to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. The study was conducted in nine municipalites of the Trairi region in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Data were collected during the months of July through September 2007, by means of a questionnaire with a population of 53 health professionals, 30 nurses and 23 physicians. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The results were organized in three major items: knowledge of the health professionals about the symptomatology of syphilis and their actions in the detection of the disease; actions in the treatment of the pregnant woman with syphilis; and the actions of followup of the desease. We identified that 81,2% of the professionals have knowledge about the symptomatology of syphilis in the pregnant woman;79,2% request the VDRL exam in the adequate intervals and approximately 50% conduct the treatment in conformity with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. For the followup care of the infected woman, 79,2% request a monthly VDRL examination, 69,8% explain the disease to the pregnant woman, and 20,7% affirm that they conduct a proper reception to the woman.We conclude that the majority of the health professionals have knowledge of the detection, treatment and followup of the pregnant woman with syphilis. However, the actions of some professionals diverge from the conduct procedures recommended by the Ministry of Health, as to the requesting of the examinations, medication prescription and notification of the iesease. This indicates the need for improved

As representações sociais da morte e do processo de morrer para profissionais que trabalham em unidade de terapia intensiva uti

This study aimed to seize the general social representations of doctors and nurses who work in ICUs on the process of death and dying. We also aimed to know the social representations of these professionals in relation to death and the process of dying of people who are under their care, identify factors that influence the construction of these representations and identify similarities and differences between the two professions. The study was conducted from the perspective of the Theory of Social Representations of Serge Moscovici and the Central Nucleus of Jean-Claude Abric. The study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of Natal Hospital Center, a private hospital of the city of Natal - Rio Grande do Norte. This is descriptive and exploratory research. Twenty-four (24) professionals were interviewed, twelve (12) nurses and twelve (12) doctors. Data were collected through two instruments: Test of Free Association of Words, semi-structured interview. Later, they were coded, categorized and analyzed according to Content Analysis of Bardin (1977). The words evoked after the use of inducing words - death and dying - and the interviews, led to three thematic categories: Death and dying as a biological event, death and dying as a psychosocial event, death and dying as a transcendental event. As final considerations, we believe that the social representations of the group are translated in death and dying as biological and psychosocial events and anchored in the transcendental aspects, we do not see obvious differences in the testimonies of doctors and nurses , and the factors that interfere the construction of these offices is the culture, including religion