[Patients with chronic renal insufficiency in hemodialysis: nurses educational activities]

The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the nurse's educative activity with chronic renal patients undergoing an hemodialytic treatment, providing an improvement in the patient's quality of life and using a model called "awareness education". The subjects of this study were eight chronic renal patients--four female patients and four male patients whose age varied from 17 to 63 years old. The methodological approach was the research-action and data collection about significant situations was carried out through participant observation. Data interpretation was related to the referential proposed by PAULO FREIRE, i.e. the analysis of the generating themes. Data were selected and encoded in six generating topics: Chronic Renal Failure (IRC), Causes of IRC, Hemodialytic Treatment, Chronic Renal Patient's Limitations and Possibilities when undergoing an Hemodialytic Treatment, Renal Transplantation and Family Support. The Discussion Groups were developed according to the Pedagogical Method by PAULO FREIRE. After that stage, satisfactory changes in the chronic renal patients' quality of life who participated in the teaching-learning process have been observed. This has enabled us to conclude that there has been a development of the naïve consciousness for the criticism about their situation, owing to some changes in their reality.