Nursing Activities Score: nursing work load in a burns Intensive Care Unit

an exploratory, descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The Nursing Activities Score was used for data collection between October 2011 and May 2012, totalling 1,221 measurements, obtained from 50 patients' hospital records. Data for qualitative variables was described in tables; for the quantitative variables, calculations using statistical measurements were used.

RESULTS:

the mean score for the Nursing Activities Score was 70.4% and the median was 70.3%, corresponding to the percentage of the time spent on direct care to the patient in 24 hours.

CONCLUSION:

the Nursing Activities Score provided information which involves the process of caring for patients hospitalized in a Burns Intensive Care Unit, and indicated that there is a high work load for the nursing team of the sector studied.

Workload; Nursing; Intensive Care Units; Burn Units

Basic Activities of the Nursing Activities Score		n	%
1 – Monitoring and control
	1. a – Vital signs and fluid balance*	42	3.4
	1. b – At the bed–side for two hours or more*	834	68.3
	1. c – At the bed–side for four hours or more*	345	28.2
2 – Laboratory investigations		1221	100.0
3 – Medication, apart from vasoactive drugs		1221	100.0
4 – Hygiene procedures
	4.a – Hygiene procedures*	628	51.4
	4.b – Hygiene procedures for more than two hours*	427	34.9
	4.c – Hygiene procedures for more than four hours*	164	13.4
5 – Drain care (apart from nasogastric tubes)		911	74.6
6 – Mobilization and positioning
	6.a – Undertaken up to three times in 24 hours*	241	19.3
	6.b – Undertaken more than three times in 24 hours or with two nurses	843	69.0
	6.c – Undertaken with three or more nurses*	137	11.2
7 – Support and care for the family and patient
	7.a – Support and care for the family and patient for one hour*	867	71.0
	7.b – Support and care for family members for three hours or more*	-	-
8 – Administrative and managerial tasks
	8.a – Routine tasks*	1121	91.8
	8.b – Administrative and managerial tasks for two hours*	100	8.1
	8.c – Administrative and managerial tasks for four hours or longer	-	-
Ventilatory support
	9 – Ventilatory support	1021	83.6
	10 – Care for artificial airways. Orotracheal tube or tracheostomy. Tracheostomy	840	68.7
	11 – Treatment to improve pulmonary function	1187	97.2
Cardiovascular support
	12 – Vasoactive medication	419	34.3
	13 – Volemic replacement with more than 3l/m²/day	213	17.4
	14 – Monitoring of left atrium. Pulmonary artery catheter	2	0.1
	15 – Cardiorespiratory resuscitation, apart from precordial thump	5	0.4
Kidney support
	16 – Hemofiltration. Dialytic techniques	81	6.6
	17 – Quantitative measurement of urinary output (e.g. Permanent vesical catheter)	1217	99.6
Neurological support
	18 – Measurement of intracranial pressure	-	-
Metabolic support
	19 – Treatment for complicated metabolic acidosis/alkalosis	1	0.1
	20 – Intravenous hyperalimentation	18	1.4
	21 – Enteral feeding (Naso–enteral tube, jejunostomy)	1072	87.7
Specific interventions
	22 –Specific interventions (intubation, surgery, endoscopy...)	15	1.2
	23 – Specific interventions outside the Burns Treatment Unit	444	36.3

Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-902 Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 (16) 3315-3451 / 3315-4407 - Ribeirão Preto - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rlae@eerp.usp.br

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[1] Corresponding Author: Marcia Bernadete Camuci Rua Brasil, 649, Apto. 1004, Bloco 3 Centro CEP: 86010-200, Londrina, PR, Brasil E-mail: mbcamuci@sercomtel.com.br

Brasil

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Nursing Activities Score: nursing work load in a burns Intensive Care Unit1 1 Paper extracted from master's thesis "The nursing workload in Intensive Care Unit of Burn Care Center according to Nursing Activities Score", presented to Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil

OBJECTIVE:

METHOD:

RESULTS:

CONCLUSION:

Nursing Activities Score: nursing work load in a burns Intensive Care Unit¹ 1 Paper extracted from master's thesis "The nursing workload in Intensive Care Unit of Burn Care Center according to Nursing Activities Score", presented to Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil