Círculo de cultura freireano: contribuições, desafios e possibilidades vivenciados por enfermeiros para a utilização de plantas medicinais

Abstract

Introduction: The use of medicinal plants in the care of gynecological conditions is a promising practice in Primary Health Care, especially for nurses, who have the training and competence for comprehensive women's health care. This practice engages with popular knowledge and expands therapeutic possibilities, promoting more humanized, accessible, and culturally significant care. However, its consolidation requires professional training and institutional support that legitimize the safe and ethical use of medicinal plants. Objective: To understand the challenges and possibilities encountered by nurses in Primary Health Care for the use of medicinal plants in the care of gynecological conditions. Method: This is an action research study, with a qualitative and interpretive approach, conducted with fifteen nurses from the Family Health Strategy in an urban area. Data collection occurred through Paulo Freire's Research Itinerary, operationalized in Culture Circles, and through in-depth open interviews. The information was processed using IRaMuTeQ software and subjected to content analysis according to Bardin. Results: The results showed that the use of medicinal plants is recognized as an accessible practice rooted in the culture of women's care, although challenges related to training, professional safety, and institutional resistance persist. The analysis revealed three interdependent dimensions: technical and safety, integrate and women's care, and social and institutional. Conclusion: It is concluded that the use of medicinal plants transcends the therapeutic aspect, expressing identity, autonomy, and empowerment of women, in addition to reaffirming the role of nurses as mediators of knowledge and agents of social transformation. Valuing these practices contributes to the demedicalization of the female body and the strengthening of comprehensive care.