ATUAÇÃO DOS PROFISSIONAIS DE ENFERMAGEM NA OFERTA DE AURICULOTERAPIA NO BRASIL

Abstract

The study aimed to understand the role of nurses in offering auriculotherapy as an integrative health practice in Brazil, from 2023 to 2024. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach, developed from publicly available information in SISAB. Records of auriculotherapy procedures performed by all professional categories registered in the system were considered, covering the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The results showed a significant 36% increase in the total number of treatments, rising from 683,191 in 2023 to 931,651 in 2024. However, despite the absolute increase in applications performed by nurses—from 183,689 to 221,866—there was a proportional reduction in their representation from 26.7% to 23.8%. The analysis by state demonstrated that physiotherapists were the main practitioners in 15 states, while nurses stood out in 11, revealing the predominance of physiotherapy in the application of auriculotherapy in the country. It is concluded that, although nursing plays a relevant role in promoting Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS) with technical and legal competencies for its execution, its leading role in auriculotherapy is still limited, indicating the need to strengthen professional training, encourage continuing education, and institutional valorization of this practice. The study reinforces the importance of integrating PICS into Primary Health Care, aligning with the principles of the Unified Health System (SUS), especially regarding comprehensive, humanized, and equitable care.