[The many faces of contact in caring]. / As várias faces do contato no cuidar.

This paper emerged from a group experience about a theme related to human care: the contact. The experience is described, unveiling feelings and memories perceived while constructing the activity, building a concept of contact, here seen as one of the fundaments of human care. Human care was studied on an anthropological approach, lived in a group technique. Our meanings of contact were expressed with the words: senses, sensibility, representation, confidence, relationship. Each significance was worked and detailed since our concept of contact arose from the interrelation of them. Some theoretical reflection about the theme was done and constructs of this kind of care were elaborated, since it is considered one of the fundaments of human care.

[The meaning of care in the perspective of nurse aides students]. / O significado de cuidar na perspectiva de alunos de um curso de auxiliar de enfermagem.

This is a descriptive exploratory study. It aims to identify the meaning of care in Nursing on the perspective o eighteen Nurse aides students. To collect the data, it was asked to the students to write down an answer to the following question: "What is the meaning of care to me?" The data was separated in groups that pointed to two categories and their elements: the expressive care and the professional care. Expressive care presented itself as: affection, giving, being present, protection, concerning, being available, understanding, respecting, comforting, being responsible, solidarity, providing security, having intention, sharing/exchanging. Professional care showed to be: assist/care, technical competence, professional knowledge and to like what is done.

[Nursing care of propedeutic and therapeutic nature and its interface with other professional actions]. / Ações de cuidar na enfermagem de natureza propedêutica e terapêutica e suas interfaces com os atos de outros profissionais.

This paper is based on a qualitative research, with an approach based on phenomenological hermeneutics. Its aim is to understand the singularities of nursing therapeutic and propedeutic care actions and their interfaces with the actions of other professionals. The participants are five nurses from the Trauma Intensive Care Unit of an university hospital. The data has been collected through semi-structured interviews and has been analyzed according to Ricoeur's hermeneutics. The understanding of what has been shown by the participants, concerning the meaning of care actions, presented five distinct categories: organization of the caring environment; expressiveness of being; development of educative actions; systematization of care and interfaces of care.