Humanizing care from the territory: experience of a University Community Nursing Center

Abstract

Objective: To provide a foundation for the humanization of health care in community settings from a territorial perspective, based on the university experience of the University Center for Community Nursing (CUEC), located in San Luis Tlaxialtemalco, Xochimilco, Mexico City. Materials and methods: A systematization of the university experience developed at CUEC was conducted, complemented by documentary analysis. The experience from mid-2019 to part of 2026 was analyzed, considering the territorial context, organization, participating actors, educational processes, and community care and engagement activities. The programs of Comprehensive Maternal Health, Early Stimulation, Support for the Aging Process and Home Care.

Results: The systematization led to a proposal for the humanization of community health care organized around five anchors: a human rights approach; humanized interprofessional education; person- and family-centered care; situated collaborative practice involving health and non-health actors; and strengthening people’s participation and autonomy regarding their health, together with situated and humanized training for social service providers. These anchors articulate ethical, relational, technical, and sociopolitical dimensions of care.

Conclusions: The CUEC experience shows that humanizing community care requires situating practices within the territory, recognizing people and communities as subjects of rights, knowledge, and decision-making, and strengthening interprofessional and community collaboration. The proposal provides references for transforming care practices in other community settings.

Keywords: Humanization of Care; Community Health Nursing; Primary Health Care; Interprofessional Education.