Bond between nurses and mothers of children younger than two years: perception of nurses

Abstract

To promote child health during nursing consultations, it is essential that nurses establish bonds with mothers to guide them in childcare. The present study attempted to identify a possible bond during nursing consultations between the nurses who work in the Family Health Strategy and the mothers of children who are younger than two years old. This qualitative study was conducted in seven Family Health Units in the city of João Pessoa, in the state of Paraíba (PB), Brazil, between May and November 2013, through semi-structured interviews with nurses. The thematic analysis allowed the identification of relevant themes, namely, (1) the elements that create bonds and (2) the difficulties in the establishment of a bond. The nurses realize that in primary care, relationships are based on intersubjectivity. By acting within the concept of individual care, the nurses provide individualized and humanized care and believe that bonds are essential for comprehensive care. However, the nurses have difficulties in establishing bonds, and they attribute these difficulties to the high demand for care and the difficulty in giving continuity to the mothers' presence in the health care unit.