Education in the representations, knowledge, and experiences of healthcare professionals

Abstract

The new paradigms of health care require to develop the educational function to meet emerging health needs. The paper shows the results of a qualitative study that involved physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and midwives to understand representations, knowledge and experiences in the field of education. Through the analysis of the professionals’ words, it was possible to analyse the elements of implicit epistemology on education regarding its general aspect and the more specific one related to health practice. The multiplicity of educational interventions emerging from the operators’ stories and reflections finds full correspondence with their professional descriptions. The survey reveals a complex health educational syntax that promotes the selfdetermination of the patient and his/her existence. According to the testimonies, the pedagogical intervention underpinning the educational practices, starting with the basic training of healthcare professionals, is somewhat lacking.