OBJECTIVES: to identify the social representations of nursing staff regarding eating disorders. METHODS: qualitative research, descriptive and exploratory, in which twelve professionals have been interviewed, and their reports have been analyzed under the social representation point of view. RESULTS: the data were submitted a content analysis and two categories emerged - "Knowledge Construction" and "Actions/Feelings Field", constituted by themes as control/limit, where the worker's psychic suffering is more evident, mostly those cases in imminence of suicide. DISCUSSION: the mentioned knowledge gives us representations anchored essentially on a medical-scientific speech, in an interface with practical knowledge, which the daily life provides. CONCLUSION: it is necessary pay attention to affective-symbolic content of the relationships of nursing care process.
Anorexia nervosa; Bulimia; Psychiatric nursing; Eating disorders