The Nurse's Role with Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined by the World Health Organization as a carbohydrate intolerance of varying severity that begins during the current pregnancy and does not meet the diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus. This work aims to observe the role of nurses in the care of pregnant women with Gestational Diabetes in Primary Health Care. It is characterized by exploratory-descriptive research, using a quantitative approach. The research took place in the Basic Health Units of the municipality of Tianguá, Ceará, from August to December 2020. Inclusion criteria were nurses working in Basic Health Units, regardless of their length of service. A validated and adapted questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. It was observed that the majority of nurses had between 01 to 05 years of experience, were female, with an average age of 25 to 45 years old. It was identified that there was disagreement in GDM screening, where a significant portion of nurses did not request OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks, some nurses did not provide guidance on the importance of physical activity, and there was no standardization in the procedures performed during assistance to pregnant women with diabetes. It is noticeable that nurses need constant updates, as according to the findings, some show difficulties regarding the practice and routine of protocols related to the care of pregnant women with GDM. The suggestion for improvement is continuous education, which proves to be a great ally for enhancing care, enabling a change in this scenario.