Care time and quality indicators in Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Objective: To verify the correlation between nursing care time and care quality indicators. Method: Observational, correlational study, developed in 11 Intensive Care Units. The population comprised records of the number of nursing professionals, the number of patients with at least one of the Oro/Nasogastroenteral Probe (GEPRO), Endotracheal Tube (COT) and Central Venous Catheter (CVC) therapeutic devices and the occurrences related to the losses of these artifacts. Results: The time corresponded to 18.86 hours (Hospital A), 21 hours (Hospital B) and 19.50 hours (Hospital C); the Unplanned Outflow Incidence of GEPRO indicator presented a mean of 2.19/100 patients/day; Unplanned Extubation of COT Incidence, 0.42/100 patients/day; and CVC Loss Incidence, 0.22/100 patients/day. There was no statistically significant correlation between time and indicators analyzed. Conclusion: This research may support methodological decisions for future investigations that seek the impact of human resources on the care quality and patient safety.