OBJECTIVE: To understand the meaning of ecological care in view of complex thinking and how ecological care had been associated with the clinical practice of health care professionals from a general hospital. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive study among 15 health care professionals working in the laundry, nutrition, or inpatient unit. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Bardin's recommendations guided the content analysis. RESULTS: The following categories emerged: Meaning of ecological care, significance of ecological care for clinical practice, and preventive measures associated with ecological care. CONCLUSIONS: Although incipient, the findings suggest that there is a general concern regarding environmental issues. Even though some health care professionals stated the significance of hand washing and use of biodegradable products as preventive measures, the main concern was related to the separation, recycling, and disposal of trash.
Environment; Health; Working environment
