[Scientific production about death and dying themes in a periodical]. / Produção científica sobre o tema da morte e do morrer: estudo de um periódico.

The analysis of the production of scientific knowledge has been drawing the attention of many authors in several fields of study. The observation of this tendency consolidated my interest in embarking upon scientific knowledge by analyzing the material published by "OMEGA--Journal of Death and Dying", an American periodical journal that specifically refers to published matter connected with the themes of death and dying. With this objective, I analysed the production that this journal provided from 1980 to 1994, totalizing 526 articles. To the analysis characteristics of the authors and co-authors were considered, themes discussed, and the methods used, including the main methodological tools. Results enable us to discern the tendencies of thematic approach as well as how they are combined and the possibilities of a methodological approach.

[Nursing ethics committees at health institutions in Ribeirao Preto]. / Comissões de ética de enfermagem em instituições de saúde de Ribeirão Preto.

The aim of this study was to identify hospitals in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil which have a Nursing Ethics Committee established according to the Decision of the Nursing Regional Council, to examine their activities and attributions, the reasons why they were created and the enforcement of legislation. The results have shown that from the eleven hospitals visited, eight ought to have instituted their Committees; however, only three had done it and only one of them was effectively active. The study made it possible to identify the most frequent infractions to ethics as well as the penalties occasionally inflicted and evidenced the unpreparedness of Nursing professionals as to their attitudes concerning Committees.

[Suicide -- an essay trying to reveal the theme]. / Suicídio--um ensaio em busca de um des-velamento do tema.

This essay proposes to reveal facets of the suicide through the discourse of different authors treating this theme as well as through contacts that I was able to have in my nursing training, through my academic trajectory. This trajectory includes an incursion by phenomenological ideas, mainly by the ideas of Heidegger and his existential analysis of the man as being-there. In this way, the understanding of a person who decides to finalize his/her existence, can be, by the existential analysis perspective, a way to reconstruct and redimension his/her existential perspectives.

[The anatomy room as a space of contact with death]. / A sala de anatomia enquanto espaço de convívio com a morte.

During a program of scientific initiation the author had her attention addressed to the anatomy room, seen as an important academic experience on the formation of health professionals. This study had as its objective the understanding of the first contact students of the medical and nursing area have with death in this room. The methodology applied was the phenomenological investigation. Reports from students were obtained when these were taking the anatomy course. The data analyzed evidenced that the main concern to students was to learn about the anatomical parts of the body, seen as fragments of a biological body, in detriment of a global view on the human body. In that sense, many relegate the feelings of fear and sadness, adapting quickly in view of scientific and technical refinement. The study attempts for the need of using this academic space for discussions on death in order to have a more humanitarian health assistance.

[Death in the hospital--cardiac resuscitation teams]. / A morte no contexto hospitalar--as equipes de reanimação cardíaca.

The author investigated the meaning of the daily work with the death on the perspective of the professionals that integrate a team of heart and lung revival from a university hospital. To belong to this team implies somehow, to live together with the death with an explicit objective of reverting it. The literature evidences the concern of several authors with these professionals, considering their tendency of weariness. The study was developed according to the methodology of phenomenological investigation and was carried out through recorded interviews with all members of the referred team. The analyzed data allowed authors to evidence that the professionals perceive the work on a functionalist perspective, where the time is revealed as a decisive factor against death; it is a work permeated by the success/failure and difficulties; it generates a posture of omnipotence/impotence and requires a confrontation. They also evidenced waste, feelings of impotence and of failure when the reanimation is not possible. They still reinforce the concern about daily exhausting work and the advise for schools and institutions of health to develop channels for the evaluation of weariness and for the new valuation of the health professionals role.

[The meaning of living with chronic renal failure]. / O significado de conviver com a insuficiência renal crônica.

This study is part integrant of result of my inquietude in relationship to the ill person with renal chronic illness, subject of my dissertation. For that, I used qualitative research phenomenological modality, that allowed me to understand the ill and to answer my interrogation: What is to be a renal chronically ill person? The analysis of descriptions revealed the look of the renal chronically ill in relationship with the disease, treatment and the possibility of cure. However in this study I emphasize the meaning to live with chronic renal failure.

[The exercise of nursing in its bioethical dimension]. / O exercício da enfermagem em sua dimensão bioética.

In the present study we approached Bioethics, an area that has been targeted for discussion and reflection within the scope of biological and health sciences, in order to rethink human conduct towards moral values in the current context of great technological and scientific development. We started a discussion about the exercise of nursing in its bioethical dimension, analyzing how such exercise has been occurring at the level of the ethics of principles, which is based on beneficence, autonomy and justice. In this respect, in their relations with patients, the members of the nursing team have adopted a posture based on beneficence linked to the subordination of their practice to the medical act. On the other hand, close contact with patients enables the nursing team to form ties that confer a certain power, which can be used to lead patients to exercise the ir autonomy.

[The context of radiotherapy within a literature perspective]. / O contexto de um setor de radioterapia sob a perspectiva da literatura.

The present study is a review of the literature on radiotherapy and was undertaken in order to determine and analyse how the subject is approached by different investigators. The review covers textbooks that focus the evolution of physics on radiotherapy, and the issues of eight journals published over a ten-year period (1982-1992). Three of the journals are Brazilian, one is North American. Four of them are not specific for the area. Six CEPEN catalogues were also consulted. The analysis have shown gaps related to studies that approach the perspectives of patients, their families and the members of the health and nursing team on their daily experience of this treatment.

[Studies using the methodology of phenomenologic investigation]. / A condução de estudos segundo a metodologia de investigação fenomenológica.

The author reports on her experience as an adviser in studies carried out according to the methodology of phenomenologic investigation. This experience involves advising processes at several levels: scientific initiation, scientific training, master's and doctorate. The phases of investigation of this type are discussed, with emphasis on the critical and decisive points along the methodological pathway. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a significant investment in the search for an in-depth understanding of the principles of phenomenology on the part of researchers, so that the study to be performed will be conducted in a serious, rigorous and appropriate manner, thus effectively generating new knowledge.

[Death in the context of obstetric nursing: perspectives of care]. / A morte no contexto da enfermagem obstétrica: uma perspectiva do cuidar.

The authors intend to unveil facets of the meaning of mother's care who has lost her baby at the end of pregnancy, in the nursery labor view. For that, they used a Qualitative Research Methodology. The phenomenological methodology of inquiry allowed them to reach the subject of the study. The data were collected from obstetric office employees that answered a guiding question. The analysis of these answers reveals important points linked to this mother's care.

[Introducing the human existential dimension into a course on nursing fundamentals]. / Introduzindo a dimensão existencial do homem na disciplina de fundamentos de enfermagem.

The study consisted of one historical retrospect of how the course Fundamental of Nursing is being oriented in man focus and the of assistance of nursing given to him. It describes and analyses an experience which has been realized by teachers of course Fundamental of Nursing in the Nursing School of Ribeirão Preto at University of São Paulo. It consists of the philosophical approach about the man who we assist. Consolidate with the Heidegger's ideas, we introduce the man's notions of being-in-the-world-with-the-others, of hospital and disease world and the facets, enabling to see the man as sick, in his-being-sick, as the new perspective of comprehension of human existence.

[The theme of death: an educational proposal]. / O tema da morte: uma proposta de educação.

The necessity of educating the Health Professionals to the theme Death is concerned has become so evident during our educational activities that we have striven for the construction of a knowledge body about death and dying. Therefore, the knowledge we have generating refers to the pedagogical aspect of the theme. The aim of this study was to focus such dimension as far as it describes and analyses our experience in educating nursing undergraduates to deal with situations involving death and dying. In particular, we try to developing our students in order to be able to provide care to the dead body in a proposal to transcend the technical aspect of this care. Bearing this educational purpose, we strive for a space that makes possible a formation in the perspective of leading the students to another existencial dimension when facing and understanding death.

[An alternative proposal for the scientific productivity of nurse practitioners]. / Proposta alternativa para a produção científica de enfermeiros assistenciais.

We report our experience with University extension courses on research methodology offered to nurse practitioners in order to provide them with some fundaments about the topic. These courses, which were given in 1984, 1986 and 1988 by the Nursing School of Ribeirão Preto-USP, were proposed by the coordinators who felt it is necessary to stimulate the scientific production of nurse practitioners; thus, the basic proposal of the courses was to promote this stimulation, thus, in addition to presenting the content of different research methodologies, the courses discussed nursing research that appeared to be relevant for practice. Some time after the courses were given, the nurses who had taken them were approached in order to obtain information to be used for the elaboration of future courses and to evaluate the contribution made by the initial courses in terms of stimulation of research by nurse practitioners.

[Phenomenology as a methodological alternative for research: some considerations]. / A fenomenologia como alternativa metodológica para pesquisa: algumas considerações.

The authors present the fundamental ideas of the phenomenology as an epistemology aiming human sciences which is concerned with the past experiences of the subjects and necessarily uses reflection as a way to consider the facts as they show up. As a methodological alternative for research, the phenomenology seeks the essence of the posed phenomenon and, to analyse its structure the investigator gets descriptions of the subjects who undergo the situation, aiming the formation of significant units. Hermeneutics is a kind of interpretation which must rely on a philosophical body of experience.