Nursing workload and patient safety - a mixed method study with an ecological restorative approach

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the potential association between nursing workload and patient safety in the medical and surgical inpatient units of a teaching hospital. METHOD: a mixed method strategy (sequential explanatory design). RESULTS: the initial quantitative stage of the study suggest that increases in the number of patients assigned to each nursing team lead to increased rates of bed-related falls, central line-associated bloodstream infections, nursing staff turnover, and absenteeism. During the subsequent qualitative stage of the research, the nursing team stressed medication administration, bed baths, and patient transport as the aspects of care that have the greatest impact on workload and pose the greatest hazards to patient, provider, and environment safety. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated significant associations between nursing workload and patient safety. We observed that nursing staff with fewer patients presented best results of care-related and management-related patient safety indicators. In addition, the tenets of ecological and restorative thinking contributed to the understanding of some of the aspects in this intricate relationship from the standpoint of nursing providers. They also promoted a participatory approach in this study

Use of patients’ classification instruments: analysis of the brazilian production of knowledge

Objective To analyze the production of scientific knowledge about the use of patients’ classification instruments in care and management practice in Brazil. Method Integrative literature review with databases search in: Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System on-line (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and SCOPUS, between January 2002 through December 2013. Results 1,194 studies were found, 31 met the inclusion criteria. We observed a higher number of studies in the category care plans and workload (n=15), followed by the category evaluation of psychometric properties (n=14). Conclusion Brazilian knowledge production has not yet investigated some purposes of using instruments for classifying patients in professional nursing practice. The identification of unexplored areas can guide future research on the topic

Assessment of the nursing care product (APROCENF): a reliability and construct validity study

Objetivo: verificar las estimativas de confiabilidad y validez de constructo de la escala "Evaluación del producto del cuidar en enfermería" (APROCENF) y su aplicabilidad. Métodos: este estudio de validación incluyó en su muestra 40 (confiabilidad inter-evaluadores) y 172 (validez de constructo) evaluaciones efectuadas por enfermeros al final del turno de trabajo en nueve unidades de internación de un hospital universitaria del sudeste brasileño. Los datos fueron recolectados entre febrero y septiembre de 2014 de forma interrumpida. Fueron calculados los coeficientes alfa de Cronbach y correlación de Spearman (consistencia interna), la correlación intraclase y Kappa ponderado (confiabilidad inter-evaluadores)y el análisis factorial exploratorio fue utilizado con extracción por componentes principales y rotación varimax (validación de constructo). Resultados: la consistencia interna reveló alfa de0,85,correlación entre ítems variando de 0,13 a 0,61 y ítem-total de 0,43 a 0,69. La equivalencia inter-evaluadores fue alcanzada y todos los ítems evidenciaron cargas factoriales significantes. Conclusión: esta investigación mostró evidencias de confiabilidad y validez del constructo del instrumento para evaluación del producto del cuidar en enfermería. Su aplicación en la práctica de enfermería posibilita identificar mejoras necesarias en el proceso productivo, contribuyendo para decisiones gerenciales y asistenciales.Objectives: to verify the reliability and construct validity estimates of the "Assessment of nursing care product" scale (APROCENF) and its applicability. Methods: this validation study included a sample of 40 (inter-rater reliability) and 172 (construct validity) assessments performed by nurses at the end of the work shift at nine inpatient services of a teaching hospital in the Brazilian Southeast. The data were collected between February and September/2014 with interruptions. Cronbach's alpha and Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated, as well as the intraclass correlation and the weighted kappa index (inter-rater reliability). Exploratory factor analysis was used with principal component extraction and varimax rotation (construct validity). Results: the internal consistency revealed an alpha coefficient of 0.85, item-item correlation ranging between 0.13 and 0.61 and item-total correlation between 0.43 and 0.69. Inter-rater equivalence was obtained and all items evidenced significant factor loadings. Conclusion: this research evidenced the reliability and construct validity of the scale to assess the nursing care product. Its application in nursing practice permits identifying improvements needed in the production process, contributing to management and care decisions.Objetivo: verificar as estimativas de confiabilidade e validade de construto da escala "Avaliação do produto do cuidar em enfermagem" (APROCENF) e sua aplicabilidade. Métodos: este estudo de validação incluiu em sua amostra 40 (confiabilidade interavaliadores) e 172 (validade de construto) avaliações realizadas por enfermeiros ao final do turno de trabalho em nove unidades de internação de um hospital universitário do sudeste brasileiro. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre fevereiro e setembro de 2014 de forma interrupta. Foram calculados os coeficientes alfa de Cronbach e correlação de Spearman (consistência interna), a correlação intraclasse e Kappa ponderado (confiabilidade interavaliadores) e a análise fatorial exploratória foi utilizada com extração por componentes principais e rotação varimax (validação do construto). Resultados: a consistência interna revelou alfa de 0,85, correlação entre itens variando de 0,13 a 0,61 e item-total de 0,43 a 0,69. A equivalência interavaliadores foi obtida e todos os itens evidenciaram cargas fatoriais significantes. Conclusão: esta investigação mostrou evidências de confiabilidade e validade do construto do instrumento para avaliação do produto do cuidar em enfermagem. Sua aplicação na prática de enfermagem possibilita identificar melhorias necessárias no processo produtivo contribuindo para decisões gerenciais e assistenciais