The nursing students perception about the instruction of birth plan for pregnant women in the engagement project

Introduction: The Birth Plan promotes women's autonomy during childbirth and facilitates communication with health professionals. Nurses play a crucial role in prenatal care, establishing bonds and welcoming pregnant women with qualified listening. The document emphasizes the physiology chosen for childbirth, valuing normal delivery and reducing unnecessary interventions, such as cesarean sections without clinical indication, to promote the well-being of the pregnant woman. Training professionals who are more committed and aware of their role in society is of paramount importance to promote positive social actions with regard to the quality of maternal and child health. In this way, the Engagement Projects originated to allow the integration of the academic community with society in general, through activities that aim to promote human, social and economic development, in addition to the acquisition of knowledge, practice of teamwork and coexistence with the reality of the theme in social practice, which can benefit communities, such as the application of the Birth Plan. Therefore, it makes to reflect on the problems that can cause a lack of planning at the time of delivery, and possible solutions at a time of discomfort. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of Nursing students about the Instruction of the Birth Plan for pregnant women within the scope of the Engagement Project. Methodology: This is a descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, carried out at a university in the interior of the State of São Paulo. For data collection, the students' participation in the Engagement Project was verified. From this, 39 3rd-year nursing students from this institution were selected and a questionnaire was applied on the google forms platform with objective questions regarding the Engagement Project on the Instruction of the Birth Plan. The data obtained were tabulated, categorized and analyzed in a descriptive quantitative way. Results: Of the 39 participants, 94.9% were female and 5.1% were male; 87.2% were between 19 and 29 years old and 12.8% were over 30 years old. Before the Instruction of the Engagement Project, 59% of the participants did not know the Birth Plan, and all of them (100%) mentioned that it was important to study about it. After the Engagement Project on Birth Plan Instruction, 97.4% of the participants considered themselves able to apply it in their professional practice. Conclusion: The Engagement Project allowed students to strengthen their professional practices, consciously engaging them in the Birth Plan Instruction. In addition, undergraduates feel empowered to approach and implement this practice with a beneficial perception for pregnant women assisted by the Engagement Project.