Repercussions of the technical-social division of labor in nursing in Latin America: a theoretical reflective essay
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Keywords

Latin America
Nursing
Health Work Process
Capitalism
Nursing Technicians
Physician-Nurse Relations

How to Cite

1.
Sales FM, Santana RF. Repercussions of the technical-social division of labor in nursing in Latin America: a theoretical reflective essay. Online Braz J Nurs [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 27 [cited 2026 Sep. 23];24(Suppl2):e20256890. Available from: https://objnursing.uff.br/nursing/article/view/6890

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the repercussions of the technical-social division of labor in nursing in Latin America. Method: A theoretical reflective study, guided by the philosophical framework of Karl Marx, based on a documentary analysis conducted according to Bardin's assumptions. Results: The analysis showed that the nursing workforce in the region is mostly composed of mid-level professionals, subjected to job precarity, low social visibility, and practice centered on technical procedures. This configuration reinforces hierarchical relationships, fragments care, and limits professional autonomy, while also expressing processes of alienation, reification, and work fetishism. Conclusion: It was found that the technical-social division of labor reproduces historical inequalities and compromises the comprehensiveness and quality of care. Overcoming this situation demands articulated public policies between health and education, a review of training proposals, the valorization of care as nursing's specific knowledge and practice, and improvement in working conditions, in order to strengthen the autonomy and problem-solving capacity of nursing professionals working in Latin America.

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