Phytotherapy and medicinal plants: The perception of nurses in Family Health Units (FHU)

Medicinal plants and phytotherapy are forms of alternative therapy, so it is necessary that health professionals are trained to use them in primary health care. This research had the aim to draw the profile of nurses of the municipality of Sinop/MT, regarding the use of medicinal plants/phytotherapic herbs, as well as the interest of implementing this practice to the daily life of the FHU. It is an exploratory study with a quantitative and qualitative approach; data were collected from March to July 2012 in all FHUs and 14 nurses participated in the study. Among the professionals interviewed, 50% used medicinal plants/phytotherapic herbs and the other 50% denied using this practice. However, when asked about the possibilities of implementing the prescription of this form of therapy in the FHU of the municipality, 78.57% said they were favorable. When asked about the opportunity to take an undergraduate course on medicinal plants, 100% answered that they would not attend. However, so that these therapies are rescued, it is necessary to invest in a new training policy and in a permanent process of human resources training, especially in Nursing, which plays a fundamental and direct role with the population, and has the opportunity to educate by clarifying about the proper use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines.