Exploratory study on the social representation of nursing in Mexico from the free exercise of the profession

Abstract

The free exercise of the profession refers to the services offered after university training, freely, autonomously and independently, intellectually and financially; this choice for this role is influenced by both personal and socio-cultural factors. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive study was carried out, where six graduates who exercise the free practice of Nursing were interviewed with prior informed consent. The responses were categorized and the discourses analyzed from the theory of social representations. Know the social representation of Nursing in the free exercise of the profession. It was found that they define the free exercise of the profession as an economic, autonomous, independent and socially responsible activity. Economic and infrastructure issues were mentioned, as disadvantages in their practice, as well as few facilities to open a clinic and the search for care of the traditional medical model as justifications for the little insertion in this field.