This study had as a goal the measure of time spent on an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by nurses when carrying out the steps of the Nursing Process (NP). It is a descriptive research, observational and exploratory, using quantitative methodology. Steps of the NP as carried out were timed by six nurses on 29 ICU patients. Research was approved by the Institutional Ethics Review Board. Time was measured in the following steps: daily patient assessment: 8.34 (3.78); diagnosis and nursing prescription: 3.65 (2.27-5.45); scheduling nursing prescription: 2.30 (1.14) and evaluation of care: 11.29 (2.55). Nurses spent 25.58 minutes per patient when carrying out the NP. The data provide a way to measure human resources required for caring for critical patients, so as to qualify care giving.
Nursing process; Intensive care units; Nursing diagnosis
