Experience of nursing students in a supervised curricular internship in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Objective: To describe and reflect on the experience of nursing students during a supervised curricular internship in Primary Health Care, highlighting its contributions to professional identity building and to the development of care, educational, and managerial competencies. Experience report: The internship, totaling 360 hours, was carried out at a Basic Health Unit in the northern area of Teresina, Piauí, under the supervision of a preceptor. Activities included participation in nursing consultations, clinical data collection, procedures such as dressing changes, suture removal, and catheterization, as well as the planning and execution of four educational actions for the community, addressing tuberculosis, colorectal cancer, dengue, and women's health. Final considerations: The experience allowed direct contact with structural challenges of the public health service, such as scarce resources and high demand, fostering the development of clinical reasoning, autonomy, and the integration between theory and practice, reinforcing the relevance of Primary Health Care in the training of generalist and effective nurses.