[Long-term care institutions for the elderly and their structural coupling with the surrounding social systems].

This study was performed in six Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly (LTCIEs) that helped low-income senior citizens in three regions of the country. Its aim is to examine how LTCIEs' internal organizational system maintained structural coupling with surrounding systems. The data were collected through interviews and observation.

[Linkages and challenges in the training of professional nurses].

The objective of the study was to know the linkages and challenges between professional training and practice and the Curriculum Guidelines for Nursing Baccalaureate Degree Programs. It was a qualitative study, with 34 graduates in nursing, who answered an e-mailed questionnaire. Data analysis was based on Michael Foucault's discourse analysis.