GRADUATION IN NURSING AT UNIVERSIDADE DO PLANALTO CATARINENSE UNDER THE EYE OF GRADUATES

Abstract

This is a study on the perception of graduates of an Undergraduate Nursing Course about their education. Objective: To know the perception of graduated nurses, identifying aspects of academic training that facilitate or hinder the exercise of the profession. Method: Qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research developed at the Nursing Course at the University of Planalto Catarinense, located in the state of Santa Catarina/Brazil. Research carried out with 11 nurses who graduated between 2004 and 2018 from the three curricular structures, chosen by random draw. Data collection took place with semi-structured interviews, following the light of thematic analysis. The ethical aspects of Resolution CNS 466/2012, approved by the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Beings, are respected. Results: Two thematic categories result: “Structure of teaching in the nursing course” and “Experience of graduates in the world of nursing work”. In the first, graduates rate the course's pedagogical methodology, curriculum organization and theoretical-practical association. In the second, difficulties and facilities were listed regarding preparation in training for the world of work, highlighting the management process. Conclusion: One can see the quality of the course's teaching. The participants' perception is that theory and practice are fundamental in nursing education. The three curricular structures show that the association between both takes place mainly in the context of health services and that they are better understood when they occur throughout the entire course, from the initial semesters.