Clinicas Hospital (Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre) public health nursing service: 40 years of history.

The Public Health Nursing Service (SESP) of Clinicas Hospital (HCPA) celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012 and was a pioneer in implementing outpatient nursing consultation. SESP was organized taking into consideration infrastructure to plan nursing care based on the policy in effect and the needs of the community(1). At that time, it was a huge challenge, since there were few models for outpatient nursing care. Therefore, the proposal was to make care dynamic and focused on self-care, modifying the traditional outpatient(1) nursing patterns. Thus, SESP was organized as a Service instead of a unit, specifically to make the creation of Programs(1) possible. It is necessary to recognize the actions of people who occupied strategic positions and established benchmarks. In 1972, the first chief was a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande Sul Nursing School (EENF/UFRGS), Lea Cecilia Muxfeldt, who, in a pioneering move in conjunction with coordinator, Professor Maria Helena Nery, initiated SESP’s activities. The following nurses were also part of this project: Arlete Spencer Vanzin, in the area of Adult Health Nursing; Baltazar Renosi Lápis, in the area of Psychiatric Nursing; Nilcéa Maria Nery Duarte, in the area of Obstetrical Nursing; Lourdes Falavigna Boeira and Walderez Spencer Uebel, both in the area of Puericulture(2) Nursing. During the 70s and 80s, the objectives of SESP were planning, organizing and coordinating HCPA public health programs, including health promotion through self-care geared towards patients and their families; and working as a teaching and research center for public health nursing. Nurses carried out activities related to individual and group care for patients and their families; technical and administrative activities related to continued education; supervision of the nursing team; organization, implementation and assessment of programs, as well as teaching and research activities together with the multidisciplinary and faculty team from EENF/UFRGS(1,2). Since its implementation in 1972, nursing consultation has employed phases of the nursing process, based on the Theory of the Basic Human Needs by Wanda Horta. Its main focus is on individual health(1) needs. It is important to note that SESP’s pioneerism in Brazil was directly related to the implementation of nursing consultation as an independent activity offered by nursing professionals to the community(1,2) systematically and continuously. This initiative influenced the regulation of the Professional Practice Law of 1986, establishing nursing consultation as a private activity of the nurses(3). Adapting to the evolution of the Health System, the programs were expanded and adapted, including the configuration of SESP, which has been modified over the years. The current configuration of the HCPA Nursing Group flowcharts has been in effect since January 2009, with SESP comprised of 15 outpatient zones and the Basic Health Unit (UBS). The team is composed of nurses, nursing technicians and assistants. The professors of EENF/UFRGS and the chief nurses of HCPA(4) unit board oversee the management. Currently, SESP maintains actions targeted at the primary (UBS), secondary and tertiary (outpatient) health-focused levels, integrated to the reference and counter-reference of the Unified Health System (SUS). Care related activities are developed through nursing consultations, educational groups, home visits and specific procedures. These are the Health Programs: Children’s, Women’s, Adult and Heldt E. Clinicas Hospital (Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre) public health nursing service: 40 years of history [editorial]. Rev Gaúcha Enferm. 2012;33(3):12-13.