AUTONOMIA PROFISSIONAL DO ENFERMEIRO NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA À SAÚDE: PERSPECTIVAS PARA A PRÁTICA AVANÇADA

Objective: To describe how nurses working in Primary Care identify their professional autonomy in the development of Nursing practices.Methods: This is an exploratory, descriptive research with a qualitative approach.Twenty-eight nurses who work in Primary Care in a municipality in southern Brazil participated in online interviews, between October 2020 and February 2021.For data processing, thematic content analysis was used.Results: Two categories emerged: 1) Resolving nursing practices; 2) Support in professional regulations and scientific evidence.Nursing has greater autonomy in the care of women's health, Sexually Transmitted Infections and in the care of the person with wounds, because at the time of the nurse's consultation, skills and competences for decision-making in clinical practice emerge.Regarding regulation for professional practice, professionals emphasized the importance of protocols to support actions. Conclusion:The role of nurses and success in the experiences indicate a promising path for the discussion and implementation of Advanced Practice Nursing in Brazil.