Health education in the pediatric hospital environment educação em saúde no ambiente hospitlar pediátrico educación en salud en el medio ambiente hospitalario pediátrico

Objective: To analyze meanings attributed by nurses on the practices of health education in the pediatric hospital environment. Method: Qualitative approach was undertaken in a descriptive exploratory study, conducted by individual interviews with nurses working in the pediatric hospitalization unit of a public teaching hospital, from September to November 2017. Results: According to the thematic content analysis, three categories emerged: Importance of health education in hospitalized child care; Development of health education in the hospital environment, Difficulties and challenges in the development of the practice of health education in the pediatric hospital unit. The meanings revealed fragments related to educational actions for continuity of care in the network, resistance of the relatives or responsible for hospitalized children and the need for an increase in professional qualification. Conclusion: Although the research is limited to the only unit of pediatric hospital admission, the meanings can potentially be generalized to nurses in similar contexts. Descriptors: Health Education; Pediatric Nursing; Hospital Care; Child Care. ____________________ 1 RN, specialist in Child and Adolescent Health. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2673-9212 2 Doctorate in Nursing. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1048-960X. 3 RN, specialist in Neonatology and master’s student in Health Care. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8694-1589 4 Doctorate in Nursing. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8698-5650 5 Doctorate in Nursing. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0591-7972 6 Doctorate in Nursing. UFTM. Uberaba-MG. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5213-1465