[Nurse specialists in nutritional therapy in Brazil: where and how they are acting].
Hospital malnutrition prevails. Among 105.841 registered nurses in COFEN, 47 are Nutritional Therapy specialists (0,04%).


OBJECTIVE
to characterize population and to know how and where they are acting, if there is legislation applicability on their practice.


METHODS
nurse specialists in Brazil associated to Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Descriptive study which used an applied questionnaire.


RESULTS
Population participation of 57,4%, 85,2% graduated on public schools, on the 80 decade, 59,3%. Fulfilled habilitation 37,4%; on Nutritional Therapy, 3,7%; capacity lato sensu fulfilled by 63% on different areas from Nutritional Therapy; stricto sensu capacity on Nutritional Therapy by 11,1%. Act on hospital 66,7%; direct or indirect on Nutritional Therapy 59,2%, charge as assistance nursing 44,0%. Apply legislation on practice 85,2%.


CONCLUSIONS
representative population but insignificant for this country demand. It is necessary to investigate who is setting in order to manage Nutritional Therapy.
Santos
Deolinda Marçal Vieira dos
DM
Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP.
Ceribelli
Maria Isabel Pedreira de Freitas
MI
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044623:Nutrition Therapy; D013041:Specialties, Nursing