Profile of an intensive care nurse in different regions of Brazil

Camelo

et al. 2016

Rev. esc. enferm. USP

Objective:To analyze nurses' competencies with regard to their work in post-operative heart surgery and the strategies implemented to mobilize these competencies. Method: This was an exploratory study with a qualitative approach and a methodological design of collective case study. It was carried out in three post-operative heart surgery units, consisting of 18 nurses. Direct observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Data were construed through thematic analysis. Results: nine competencies were found, as follows: theoretical-practical knowledge; high-complexity nursing care; nursing supervision; leadership in nursing; decision making; conflict management; personnel management; material and financial resources management; and on-job continued education. Organizational and individual strategies were employed to develop and improve competencies such as regular offerings of courses and lectures, in addition to the individual pursuit for knowledge and improvement. Conclusion: the study is expected to lead future nurses and training centers to evaluate the need for furthur training required to work in cardiac units, and also the need for implementing programs aimed at developing the competencies of these professionals.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Nurses in post-operative heart surgery: professional competencies and organization strategies

Camelo

et al. 2016

Rev. esc. enferm. USP

“…However, with regard to errors, studies (2-3, 5, 22) indicate the need for educational improvement among health professionals, particularly nurses. In this perspective, the theoretical, practical and scientific understanding of the technological innovations, incorporating evidence-based practices, promotes clinical competence of nurses, as well as patient safety (24)(25) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Slips, lapses and mistakes inthe use of equipment by nurses in an intensive care unit

Ribeiro

Silva

Ferreira

et al. 2016

Rev. esc. enferm. USP

Objective:To identify the occurrence of errors in the use of equipment by nurses working in intensive care and analyzing them in the framework of James Reason's theory of human error. Method: Qualitative field study in the intensive care unit of a federal hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Observation and interviews were conducted with eight nurses, from March to December 2014. Content analysis was used for the interviews, as well as the description of the scenes observed. Results: Lapses of memory and attention were identified in the handling of infusion pumps, as well as planning failures during the programming of monitors. Conclusion: Errors cause adverse events that compromise patient safety. The authors propose creation of an instrument for daily checking of equipment, with checks throughout the work process in the programming of infusion pumps and monitors, in order to reduce failures and memory lapses.

“…In terms of nursing care in ICU accessibility, figure 2 shows that there are large regions of assistential voids, probably because there are low amounts of ICU nurses in Brazil (38). Besides that, it's possible to visualize that there are regions where ICU and generalist nurses are responsible for more than eight ICU and infirmary beds, which may represent a risk of unfavorable outcome for the COVID-19 treatment since that high amount of patients per nurse are associated with a range of negative patient outcomes (39,40).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, the allocation of new beds aiming to fight the COVID-19 pandemic did not address areas with known gaps in care and health infra-structure availability, contributes to worsening the situation observed through the other indicators assessed. Developed countries like Italy and the United States demonstrate that COVID-19 can overwhelm the healthcare capacities of well-resourced nations very fast (16,38).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazil Health Care System preparation against COVID-19

Silva

Dutra

Iora

et al. 2020

Preprint

Background: The coronavirus disease outbreak from 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a highly contagious virus that claimed thousands of lives around the world and disrupted the health system in many countries. The assessment of emergency capacity in every country is a necessary part of the COVID-19 response efforts. Thus, it is extremely recommended to evaluate the health care system to prepare the country to tackle COVID-19 challenges. Methods and Findings: A retrospective and ecological study was performed with data retrieved from the public national healthcare database (DATASUS). Numbers of intensive care unit and infirmary beds, general or intensivists physicians, nurses, nursing technicians, and ventilators from each Regional Health Unity were extracted, and the beds per health professionals and ventilators per population rates were assessed. The accessibility to health services was also performed using a spatial overlay approach to verify regions that lack assistance. It was found that Brazil lacks equity, integrity, and may struggle to assist with high complexity for the COVID-19 patients in many regions of the country. Conclusions: Brazilian health system is insufficient to tackle the COVID-19 in some regions of the country where the coronavirus may be responsible for high rates of morbidity and mortality.