Performing functions at the gateway to necessary health monitoring services, Family Health Strategy nurses are essential for identifying and ensuring that high-risk pregnant women are referred to appropriate care locations so that they can receive comprehensive care. Training these professionals to identify the main signs of risk so that referrals can be made as quickly as possible, reducing the chances of complications for the mother and baby, was the objective of the training provided by the Santos Dumont Institute for 25 nurses from the Macaíba network on the morning of Friday (24/09). 

The series of training sessions with these professionals began in August, addressing topics related to the Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER) and maternal and child health, two of the main areas of activity of the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita). Topics related to family planning, teenage pregnancy and the care and assistance network for people with disabilities have already been discussed. 

Over the course of four hours, nurses from the basic health network were able to familiarize themselves with the care flowchart updated by Anita professionals, with the eligibility criteria for classifying risk cases and guidelines for referral to appropriate services. 

“Anita is a reference for infectious diseases and fetal malformations. We are working on the criteria because they are the ones who receive these pregnant women at the basic unit, so it is very important that they know how to identify these risks and refer them as soon as possible so that these pregnant women are monitored comprehensively, both by primary care and by the maternal and child risk service”, explains Anita nurse, Monise Pontes. 

The training is being provided thanks to an agreement signed between the Santos Dumont Institute and the City of Macaíba. The topics for the classes were chosen in conjunction with the nurses themselves, who pointed out the main daily demands they face in the basic units. “The success in providing good monitoring and care for these pregnant women depends largely on the vision of these nurses, who are the gateway to the network for the necessary services. The earlier the risk is identified, the greater the chances that the woman has of developing a healthy pregnancy despite the risks that affect her during that pregnancy,” adds Monise.