Objective.

Understand the social processes experienced by nursing professionals and the meanings underlying autonomy in adult Intensive Care Units in the city of Cartagena (Colombia).

Methods.

A qualitative study with a grounded theory approach was conducted. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with nursing professionals, and the analysis was based on the coding technique proposed by Strauss & Corbin.

Results.

Of the respondents, fourteen were female and one was male, with ages ranging from 23 to 57 years. Experience in intensive care units ranged from 1 to 28 years, and none had postgraduate studies. After thematic analysis, the central category was obtained from four categories: adaptation process, applicability of autonomy exercise, building autonomous competence, and limitations to the exercise of autonomy.

Conclusion.

Nursing professionals achieve their autonomy through a social process, based on different stages of learning when facing the environment of the units. It is grounded in decision-making and the power to act freely. However, barriers continue to hinder it, including limitations imposed by institutions, protocol-based interventions, social status, and individual differences among professionals

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