Permanent/continuing education as management strategies in Mobile Emergency Care Services

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the perception that healthcare professionals make of permanent and/or continuing education at the Mobile Emergency Care Services in a municipality in São Paulo state. This qualitative study was performed using thematic content analysis. Interviews were conducted with 30 healthcare professionals, which revealed two categories: Unawareness of the theme by the institutional actor; Realized and reported needs. Results showed that permanent education remains incipient at this service. A lack of compliance to protocols, ineffective communication, poor supervision, lack of preparation to care for psychiatric patients, need for humanization and a lack of psychological support to healthcare professionals were highlighted as problems to be solved. It was identified that permanent education should receive close attention as a strategy for improving practice in emergency care services. Understanding the concept and its implementation in everyday practice are a great challenge in this setting.

Descriptors: Nursing; Education; Education, Continuing; Emergency Relief; Emergency Relief.