Nursing supervision: interfaces with power relations in family health*

Abstract

Objective: To analyze nursing supervision from the perspective of power relations in family health. Method: An exploratory, descriptive and interpretive research with a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 37 workers from six health teams in a city in the countryside of São Paulo. They were submitted to thematic content analysis, based on the health work process theoretical framework and Foucault’s power category. Results: Two thematic categories were constructed: Nursing supervision from the perspective of surveillance and control in relationships of disciplinary power in family health; The duality of nursing supervision in family health between oppressive power and positive power. Conclusion: The power present in nursing supervision is expressed as control and producer of things, which not only oppresses, but also has positive effects on building healthy work environments, valuing interactions, establishing trust, strengthening teamwork and supporting workers, aspects that result in the promotion of psychological safety in family health.