Actions for health advocacy and user empowerment by nurses of the Family Health Strategy

Abstract

Objective To understand the actions for health advocacy and user empowerment developed by nurses of the Family Health Strategy in Brazil. Method A qualitative study carried out with nurses working in the Family Health Strategy in a city in the South of Brazil. Participants were selected by non-probabilistic, snowball sampling. Data was collected from a semi-structured interview guide, recorded, transcribed and analyzed through discursive textual analysis. Results Fifteen (15) nurses participated in the study. Three categories emerged: user participation; health environments; health advocacy actions related to the multiprofessional team. Conclusion The closer relationship that the Family Health Strategy enables between the multiprofessional team, users and the community promotes health advocacy practices, while user empowerment favors autonomy in health care, encouraging a healthier life and enabling them to intervene in the health decisions of the local community.