ABSTRACT
Objective:
to reveal the knowledge of nurses regarding corneal injuries and preventive care and to analyze the Systematization of Nursing Care as a prevention strategy and safety measure for the patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Method:
descriptive and qualitative research, performed at an oncology and organ transplantation hospital, in the Sate of Belém do Pará, Brazil. Twelve nurses were interviewed using a semi-structured script.
Results:
insufficient knowledge about corneal injuries was evidenced; the systematization of nursing care is not fully applied; the standardized form of the sector does not contemplate the diagnosis of dry eye risk; there are no eye care protocols, related to the implementation and execution of preventive care.
Conclusion:
the incomplete and superficial knowledge of nurses regarding corneal injuries, associated with the difficulties in developing the nursing systematization, entails ethical and care problems, culminating in the failure to perform appropriate care for the prevention of corneal injuries, and compromising patient safety during intensive care.
DESCRIPTORS:
Intensive therapy units; Corneal diseases; Nursing processes; Patient safety; Nursing care