In primary health care, a community diagnosis is necessary to provide a detailed description of the community as well as an evaluation of the community’s health, including the main factors responsible for it and the needs felt by the population. This article presents a community health diagnosis following a participatory design, taking the perspective of women living in the community, to identify proposals for action. An ethnographic study was carried out in the community of Mañaria (Spain), using semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, key informants, participant observation, desk review, and photography. A sample of 21 women were interviewed until reaching saturation of the information. This information was complemented by that provided by five key informants. Data analysis included text analysis, coding, and categorization. Preliminary results were presented to the informants for validation and further refinement, and proposals for action were identified and followed up. Six categories were identified, representing different areas of intervention: population, jobs and economy, public and private spaces, lifestyles, processes of socialization, and health care assets. For each of these areas, the main problems were identified, as were the health care assets and proposals for action. The community diagnosis has been shown to be useful not only to identify health needs but also as an efficacious instrument to trigger social and public health actions that may be undertaken at the institutional level.
Aims
To analyse the global process by which Spanish nurses have acquired a differentiated role in primary health care and to develop a theory that explains the evolution of this role.
Design
Grounded Theory was selected, as proposed by Glaser and Strauss, following the theoretical framework of Bourdieu’s habitus.
Methods
Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted between 2012 and 2015, using theoretical sampling and seeking maximum variability. The analysis of the data included progressive coding and categorization, constant comparative analysis and memo writing.
Results
A core category emerged, “Autonomy”, composed of three categories: "Between illusion and ignorance. Genesis of a habitus", "The recognisable and recognised habitus" and "Habitus called into question", showing the genesis of the nursing role in primary health care and the elements that influence the autonomy of the role: the ability to decide their training, assume their own leadership, configure teams and acquire independent skills. “Seeking autonomy” was the substantive theory that emerged from the data.
Conclusion
The results reveal the elements that strengthen the autonomous professional role and that this role is legitimated when two elements are identified: the acquisition of a habitus, based on practices carried out regularly and the recognition of this habitus by the population and others professionals.
Impact
The results of this study identify the elements that guide and strengthen the professional role and redefine the concept of autonomy. These are operational findings and could potentially be used to define new strategies for advancing the role of nursing in primary health care.
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