Representation of female nurses in journalistic texts in Bahia from 1936 to 1956

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the representations of female nurses, published in the written press in Bahia, as a strategy of visibility for the society in Bahia, from 1936 to 1956. Method: Historical study with a serial approach, in the dimension of Cultural History and in the field of the history of nursing and female nurses, which used as data sources the reports published in the newspaper from Bahia called A TARDE, from 1936 to 1956, and discussions on themes of History of Nursing, in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, articulated with the adherence literature. Results: A total of 542 publications were found with three representations of nurses in the journalistic press: public health nurse, military nurse, and religious nurse. Conclusion: The representation constructed and disseminated in the newspaper from Bahia was historically used for social, economic, and political purposes over time, through the various interested sectors, and began to compose a professional identity, which, to this day, interferes with the recognition and visibility of the profession.