[Health and education: alternative courses for the development of nursing personnel]

To promote therapeutic educational activities for nursing personnel in order to decrease stress, to improve interpersonal relations and the search for self-knowledge are the objectives of the courses promoted by the Departament of Nursing of FCM and by The Continued Education Nursing Service of the University Hospital of UNICAMP. Respiration, relaxation, body sensibilization and awareness, and theater interpretation techniques were taught in the following courses: The Hospital and Human Relations, Dance and Creativity, Yoga and Mental Relaxation. The estrategy employed was "group experience", with the participation of nurse's aides, nurses technicians, practical nurses, and registered nurses during working hours in 15 to 20 meetings per course. "Individual statements" written by the participants were used as a research tool, and the method employed was content analysis. The evaluation demonstrated that the "experience" facilitated relations among the members of the work team, opened the space for effective communication, favored self-knowledge, and helped with the problem solving. The analysis demonstrated the importance of the continuity of alternative courses to help employes improve their relations with themselves, with others and with their work, and to properly value their health/learning.