Take care of the other and of oneself

the understandyng of the nursing team

Abstract

The objectives which guided the study have been the ability of the nursing team to understand what it means to take care of the other and of oneself; the description of the cultural setting where the team operates, as well as the analysis over the self-care capacity in professional practice. The daily scenes involving those receiving care and caregivers and the narratives heard showed that for the nurses to take care of others means to educate them to take care of themselves. For nursing auxiliaries, the action of taking care is established by a relationship of dependence. Both categories showed that the actions of taking care of oneself do not have a significant meaning in their lives which proves it is necessary to stimulate or to adopt self-care practices. Other factors also influence the meaning of taking care of oneself and of others, such as: interference in the work process, ways of establishing relationship bonds and the need for continuous education.