Hábitos de vida numa comunidade escolar

: do diagnóstico à intervenção

Abstract

The integration of Nurses in Primary Health Care has increasingly demonstrated its importance and the relevance of the Nurse's role in this vast area. The competencies of Community Nurses are crucial, particularly in Health Planning, allowing for a more concise evaluation of their population, intervening in a more precise manner, increasing health gains, and preventing disease. The investment in specializations and research in this area is increasingly valued due to its outcomes after a good intervention. The care provided by a Nurse in this area revolves around the needs previously assessed for the individual, as well as for the family and community, aiming to promote health by educating the population with the necessary knowledge to change risk behaviors and thus adopt healthy living habits. With this in mind, within the domain presented by the National School Health Plan and based on the axis of empowerment, the area of Healthy Living Habits will be addressed in this project. The report offers a detailed analysis and a careful reflection on the Final Clinical Teaching, a decisive stage that significantly contributed to my professional growth, allowing for the development and acquisition of specialized skills in the field of Community Health Nursing and Public Health Nursing. This document presents a case study of a project developed scientifically with a mixed approach, that is, a quantitative and qualitative approach, with its methodological design being observational and cross-sectional. An intervention was carried out in a selected community, based on Health Planning, in partnership with the Community Care Unit in a School Group in Greater Porto, with the objective of increasing the school community's knowledge about the theme addressed, intervening in the previously identified problem, in its needs, risk groups, and using the resources available in the same community. The analysis of the data during the project showed quantifiable improvements in the level of knowledge about the issues studied, which translated into concrete improvements in the health of the school community. These conclusions reinforce that carefully planned and implemented interventions can have a significant positive impact on health promotion and disease prevention, consolidating the importance of precise diagnostics and applying preventive measures which are fundamental to boosting community health and mitigating health risks. These promising results demonstrate an enrichment in knowledge and, potentially, a change in risk behaviors. These changes have the potential to generate lasting benefits in the health of students. The performance of Community Health and Public Health Specialist Nurses proved to be decisive, with an approach focused on the real needs of the community, resulting in an immediate positive impact post-intervention. The conclusions of this study not only confirm the critical importance of these professionals in school health environments but also serve as a powerful note on the transformative potential of professional nursing in building healthier and more resilient communities.

Date of Award	20 May 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Alves (Supervisor)