Vivências de mulheres na menopausa: contributos a compreensão do cuidar em enfermagem

Menopause is a period in a woman’s life that needs all the attention of health professionals, especially the nurse specialist in Maternal and Obstetric Health Nursing. Thus, the objective was to understand the experiences of women during the menopause period, the meaning attributed by the woman to the nursing interventions developed by the Nurse Specialist in Maternal and Obstetric Health Nursing during the menopause and post-menopause period. A qualitative study was carried out, using the phenomenological-hermeneutic method, using the phenomenological interview as an instrument for data collection. The 13 participants resorted to consultations at a Gynecological Day Hospital and the Gynecology Service of a Central Hospital in the Central Region of Portugal. Qualitative data analysis was supported by Nvivo12. From the verbatim analysis of the interviews, five categories emerged: “Meaning attributed to menopause” , with the most prominent subcategories being “Positive experience”,“Not having experienced changes with menopause” and “A bad / uncomfortable phase”; “Changesfelt during menopauseand post menopause”, with moreemphasis on thesubcategory“Organic changes”, “namely the“ Heat waves ”; “Strategies used in the face of constraints”, where the most prominent subcategories were “Seeking professional help” and “Adopting an attitude of resilience”; “Expectations regarding nursing care”, with the most referred subcategory “Expectations corresponded to what was expected”; “Nursing care received during menopause”, with emphasis on the subcategories “Help”, “Clarification of doubts” and “Training of women to experience menopause”. Some women viewed menopause positively. For others, it was marked as a phase of discomfort, with changes in vaginal, emotional, organic conditions and changes in sexual activity. Women consider, above all, that the nursing care corresponded to their expectations, as doubts were clarified and they were trained to experience menopause in a positive and healthy way.