Care of the self and power relations: female nurses taking care of other women.

Objective: to analyze the care of self of female nurses and the power relations established by them in the care of other women. Method: integrative review of literature published between 2005 and 2015. There were 25 publications in the sample. Results: qualitative state of the art with reference domain of a liberating perspective, based on humanization, autonomy and empowerment as a risk reduction strategy in the practice of care to women. The findings suggest solidified power relations among female nurses and women, focused on professional domain concentrated on nurse education under the patriarchal and society's normalization discourse. Some studies consider the importance of understanding power in a capillary way, operating on the bodies of individuals. Conclusion: there is little discussion about the care of self of nurses and the effects on their professional practice, indicating gaps in knowledge in this field.