Gender understanding and its manifestation in the daily life of a health service

Abstract

Public policies for women have addressed gender as a fundamental assumption in attention to female audience. This research aimed to know how the nursing staff comprises the theme of gender in everyday health service. A qualitative research was developed; the setting was a Gynecological Unit at a teaching hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The semi-structured interview and the vignette were applied to 13 nurses, in September / October 2009. From the analysis of thematic content categories emerged: understanding of gender through the implications for women’s health and the limits and possibilities in everyday work. Despite the understanding of gender it is perceived that the professional work is focused on biological aspects, strengthening the limited nature of the actions in women’s health. It is pointed out the urgency for discussions in class and in the health sector in order to build skills aligned with public policies.