Competency mapping of primary healthcare nurses on the Brazil-Paraguay border

To map the competencies of Primary Health Care nurses in border regions of Brazil and Paraguay.

Exploratory qualitative studyconducted between February and July 2020, with 64 nurses from six Brazilian municipalities bordering Paraguay. It was conducted in three stages: 1. Documentary study: analysis of legal documents to identify the nurse's competencies. 2. Application of instrument to the study population .3. Mapping of competencies, through the competencies expressed by nurses analyzed using the collective subject discourse technique.

Twenty-eight general competencies were identified, categorized as assistance and management, and five specific competencies required to work in border regions: conducting a situational diagnosis of the border community; attending to foreign users with active and humanized listening; communicating appropriately with foreign users; identifying the epidemiological profile of the border; and, understanding the health policies of the neighboring country. The competencies required for the work from the participants' perspective were included in the mapping. The competence gap identified in the mapping refers to educational practices in communities.

The study identified the necessary competencies for nurses to work in border regions, but pointed out gaps in the training and continuing education of these professionals.