A qualitative and descriptive study aimed at identifying the perception of nurses at the emergency service of a hospital in Southern Brazil on the use of a nursing protocol for classifying chest pain, implemented at a private hospital in the Brazilian Southeast. The protocol considers, among others, the characteristics of the chest pain, risk factors and flowcharts that lead to the nursing action of classifying the risk. Seven nurses participated in the study through semi-structured interview, between January and February 2014. For the data analysis, Content Analysis was used. The results reveal a consensus among nurses that the protocol prioritizes care; identifies risk factors for acute myocardial infarction more easily and identifies the type of pain. The lengthiness and time consumption were revealed as negative considerations. For the nurses, the protocol is applicable to the service as it supported their conduct.
Chest pain; Acute myocardial infarction; Assistance in nursing; Risk classification; Protocols