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Nursing workload for cancer patients under palliative care

Carga laboral de enfermería de pacientes oncológicos bajo cuidados paliativos

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To verify the nursing workload required by cancer patients undergoing palliative care and possible associations between the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients and the nursing workload.

METHOD

This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, prospective study developed in the Connective Bone Tissue (TOC) clinics of Unit II of the Brazilian National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva with patients undergoing palliative care.

RESULTS

Analysis of 197 measures of the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) revealed a mean score of 43.09% and an association between the performance status of patients undergoing palliative care and the mean NAS scores. The results of the study point to the need to resize the team of the unit.

CONCLUSION

The NAS has proven to be a useful tool in oncologic clinical units for patients undergoing palliative care.

Descriptors
Oncology Nursing; Workload; Palliative Care; Nursing Team; Personnel Administration, Hospital

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br