Nursing is a specific field of knowledge and social practice that has been consolidated and strengthened as science. In Brazil, it has been developed due to the increase and qualification of strict sense post-graduate programs. This study aims to present a historical review of the strict sense post-graduate nursing courses in Brazil and to reflect on their evolution, progress, challenges and future perspectives. It explores the creation of strict sense post-graduate courses, highlighting the movement to build a culture of academic and professional post-graduation in nursing. The historical path of their consolidation, expansion, conquest of excellence and international visibility over four decades, and the challenges and future perspectives are showed. It is found that the post-graduate programs in the field has contributed to the advancement and consolidation of scientific, technological knowledge and innovation in nursing and health care, having as philosophy the respect for diversity and the free exchange of ideas, the improvement of quality of life and health, and the effectiveness of citizenship.

No abstract

This work aimed at describing the development of educational and instructional material for maternal training, so as to prepare the mother for the preterm infants' discharge from hospital, by means of the participatory methodology. The pedagogical model used was that of education for critical consciousness, based on Paulo Freire. Study participants were two nurses, two nursing auxiliaries and four mothers of preterm babies, which were hospitalized at the Intermediate Care Unit of a university hospital in Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil. The participants indicated the subjects of interest for the teaching-learning process, which were grouped into the categories: daily care, feeding, hygiene, special care and family relationship. We decided to develop an educational folder with figures, which could be taken home. This educational and instructional material was produced by the researchers on the basis of literature, their professional experience and on technical and scientific advice from other professionals. The final version of the folder was validated by the participants and now constitutes a creative instrument that can be of help in health education activities oriented towards these clients. According to the participants, the educational material directed the guidelines and helped the mothers to memorize the content that had to be learned.

Os objetivos do estudo foram identificar as representações sociais sobre aleitamento materno de pré-termo, em unidade de Cuidado Canguru, sob a óptica das mães que estão amamentando, e descrever os conflitos e contradições que eles vivenciam nesse contexto institucional. A pesquisa utiliza-se de uma abordagem qualitativa em que foi empregado o primeiro estágio da análise de enunciação à luz da Teoria das Representações Sociais. As representações encontradas são: os bebês saudáveis são alimentados no peito, o leite materno confere a proteção e a preservação da vida de uma criança prematura, o aleitamento materno é o complemento da maternidade e amamentar um bebê prematuro é uma experiência difícil e desgastante. Os conflitos são decorrentes da assimilação de conteúdos e discurso técnico, sucção tardia e representações sobre leite materno.