Abstract:

The increase in life expectancy and consequently in chronic degenerative, non-communicable diseases responsible for limitations and dependencies, requires the need for caregivers, the majority of whom are family members who are unprepared to take on the care of dependent elderly people. Given this scenario, nurses play a fundamental role in guiding and training these caregivers. Therefore, the university assumed the role of promoting the integral training of nursing students, extension activities incorporated into the curriculum of the course's mandatory subjects, as a way of bringing academic activities closer to the needs of society. Therefore, this study aims to report the experience of developing an educational action according to Maguerez's Arc for caregivers of elderly people. This is an experience report carried out at the Health Specialties Outpatient Clinic of a private University Center, located in the city of São Paulo – Brazil. In addition to the teachers, 55 students regularly enrolled in the discipline responsible for the activity participated in the Caregiver Project. The students were divided into groups of up to six people and developed educational action following the Arc of Maguerez methodology. The first stage was the observation of reality. The students visited the place where the action would take place and investigated, together with registered caregivers, the difficulties faced in caring for elderly people. From the most frequent reports, the following key points were identified (second stage): skin care; fall prevention; nutritional aspects; hygiene; pharmacological therapy and urgent and emergency situations. The third stage was theorization and solution hypothesis developed in small groups during the months of March to May 2024, with meetings between students and teachers at three stages, for feedback and corrections. The educational action (corresponding to the fourth stage of Maguerez's Arc, which is the application to reality) was carried out with caregivers of elderly people, who attend the school clinic. 20 caregivers participated in the workshops, divided into stations with an average duration of 30 minutes. The teachers evaluated the students using an evaluation instrument containing eight items (for example: analysis of reality, content development; participant engagement; application of the methodology; time management to develop the workshop). It was observed that the activity provided an opportunity for caregivers to clarify their doubts, acquire new knowledge and improve the quality of care provided. The students demonstrated creativity, interest and commitment throughout all phases of the project, in addition to having developed essential skills for nursing professionals in the current job market.

Keywords:

Nursing Students, Education, Caregivers.