[Nursing professionals: understanding self-care].

This is an exploratory descriptive study using qualitative approach that aimed at understanding meaning of self care(less) of nursing professionals. The selected subjects were technicians, nursing auxiliaries, and nurses acting in the health network of the interior of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected using structured and semi-structured interviews. The following categories emerged from the analysis: understanding self-care; disclosing lack of self-care, and caring for the other and disregarding self-care: what is this relationship? The results showed that the care for the others is considered as a priority, and that self-care is related to the supply of the physical, affective, and social needs of each professional.