[Educational practices developed by nurses in the Health Family Program in the Rio de Janeiro]

A descriptive study with qualitative approach was developed, aiming at analyzing the educational practices developed by nurses of the Health Family Program (HFP) in the communities living in the shanty town "Complexo do Alemão", located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data were collected in 2004, using observation and semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses of the HFP units. Based on content analysis, the following categories were built: educational practice types, educational approach, and traditional and non-traditional health. Dissociation between discourse and practice was observed, demonstrating the need of associating knowledge to practice, and to incorporate transforming educational practices to nursing routine practice. This study aimed at contributing intends to contribute for the reflection on the potentiality of incorporating educational practices as care and its relation with the participation of the stakeholders, stimulating their autonomy.