O enfermeiro na escola: um projecto de ensino-aprendizagem, de investigação e de serviço à comunidade

The research results in the field of Nursing Education have shown the importance of clinical teaching in initial training of nurses. The selection of contexts and models of teaching and learning can determine success in developing skills. It’s recognised that initial training of nurses, as a rich area of significant events, and can be continuously improved with intentional and directed processes, with the involvement of students, teachers and actors of the contexts of action. Thus, the starting question was formulated: School communities, with all its dynamics, can constitute contexts for the development of clinical teaching (in the process of initial nursing education) generating processes with significant results in student learning, in clinical research and as a response to the health needs of the intervened communities. An action-research was conducted involving undergraduate students in the framework of clinical teaching in community intervention, in four school communities (students, teaching and non-teaching staff and parents / guardians) of basic education in Oporto district and a team of Nursing School of the Catholic University for 3 years. In a new and uncommon context for the development of clinical teaching, nursing intervention areas were co-constructed in schools, developed strategies and produced educational tools to support the process of learning and skills development of the students. Related to characteristics of the research dynamics, study implications were explored as well to the service on the intervened communities. The results show that school communities are consistent contexts for the development of clinical nursing teachings, providing either in quantity and in quality, significant learning clinical experiences. Based on the activities and experiences of students, dynamic reflections were made, related with the action, about the action, in a logic of Doing, Thinking and Sharing, that supported in a intentional teaching methodologies, systematic and focused on the student, drive to academic and professional skills in nursing. Pedagogical tools (Electronics Database and Contents of Standard Sessions) were co-constructed which potentiated learning in clinical teaching. It is concluded that the methodology of action research that buoyed the “School Nurse” model construction highlight the possible implications for research and community service. This way, the process also pretends meeting the "Research what is taught and teach what is researched." The model pretends to be replicated in other nursing education contexts or areas and generate new research processes