NURSING PRACTICE IN FAMILY PLANNING ACTIONS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WITHIN THE BRAZILIAN UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM

Abstract

This study aimed to map nursing actions developed in family and reproductive planning in Primary Health Care, as well as to identify the barriers and facilitators related to the provision of these actions. This is a scoping review conducted according to the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO and the Virtual Health Library, including LILACS and BDENF, and were complemented by the analysis of references from relevant studies. Publications from 2021 to 2026, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, related to family and reproductive planning in the context of Brazilian Primary Health Care and presenting information regarding nursing practice or conditions related to care provision were considered eligible. After application of the eligibility criteria, 15 publications comprised the final sample, all published between 2022 and 2026. The identified actions included nursing consultations, welcoming practices, contraceptive counseling, health education, follow-up of reproductive choices, insertion and management of intrauterine devices, and preconception counseling. The main barriers included insufficient professional training, structural limitations, unavailability or irregular supply of materials and contraceptive methods, weaknesses in the organization of care pathways, and difficulties in access to services. Facilitators included continuing education, theoretical and practical training, clinical protocols, institutional support, service organization, teamwork, and the use of supportive technologies. It is concluded that nursing plays an important role in family and reproductive planning in Primary Health Care, and its practice is strengthened by professional qualification and organizational conditions that enable accessible, continuous, informed, and person-centered reproductive care.