CLOTHING CARE: MEANINGS OF THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY IN TECHNICAL NURSING EDUCATION IN SALINÓPOLIS–PA

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the meanings attributed to the white coat ceremony by nursing technician students at an institution located in the municipality of Salinópolis, Pará / CEPA - Centro Educacional Pan Americano. Understood as a symbolic rite of passage, the ceremony is problematized beyond its celebratory dimension, being interpreted as a formative link that articulates processes of subjectivation, identity building, and the incorporation of ethical values related to care. The analysis is based on theoretical approaches with Arnold van Gennep, Victor Turner, Claude Dubar, Erik Erikson, Paulo Freire, and Leonardo Boff. From a reading that coordinates theoretical reflection and situated observation in the educational context, it is argued that the white coat ritual not only symbolizes entry into the profession but also functions as a practice that regulates, guides, and produces meanings about being a care professional.