Objetivou-se analisar a participação de religiosas na composição do serviço de Enfermagem em um Hospital Universitário no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Estudo qualitativo histórico-social, o qual considerou como período do estudo os anos de 1909 a 2005, corresponde ao início e término da presença das irmãs Filhas de Sant’Ana na instituição. A investigação pautou-se no levantamento de documentos, relatórios, atas, leis e decretos, portarias, complementada por entrevistas com dez profissionais e religiosas, que atuaram no Hospital a partir da década de 1950. Conclui-se que a realidade investigada coincide com o contexto brasileiro em termos de despreparo dos exercentes de enfermagem; atuação das religiosas nos afazeres hospitalares e assistenciais. As Irmãs Filhas Sant’Ana foram as pioneiras e responsáveis, durante décadas, pela administração interna do Hospital e assistência ao paciente.
This study aimed to analyze the participation of religious women in the creation of the Nursing service in a university hospital in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This is a qualitative social-historical study, which considered as the period of study the years from 1909 to 2005, representing the beginning and the end of the presence of the sisters daughters of St. Anne in the institution. The research was based on survey in documents, reports, minutes, laws and decrees, ordinances, supplemented by interviews with ten professionals and religious women, who worked at the hospital from the 1950s on. It was concluded that the investigated reality coincides with the Brazilian context in terms of lack of preparation from those who act in Nursing; performance of religious women in the hospital and healthcare duties. The nuns daughters of St. Anne were the pioneers and responsible during decades for the internal administration of the hospital and patients’ care.
