Nursing staff's perception on the implementation of a nursing process at a university hospital unit

Abstract

Systematization of Nursing Assistance (in Portuguese, SAE) is a method that provides support for care organization and management. One of SAE's major principles is the Nursing Process (in Portuguese, PE), a method that incorporates features of the Nursing Theory employed by the institution. This study aimed at identifying the nursing staff's perception about the implementation of the Nursing Process. It is a descriptive and exploratory study performed in an Inpatient Unit of a hospital in Belo Horizonte. Participants in the study described the SAE as an instrument which provides conditions for care organization and scientificity. Facilitating factors were related to the unit's characteristics, the nursing staff's profile, and the adopted model. The hindering ones were work overload, insufficient human resources, and the patients' characteristics. Most nurses evaluated their participation as positive, despite the difficulties to the project's completion in practical terms. Only two principles of the Theory of Basic Human Needs, model adopted by the unit, were cited. The participants highlighted the need for permanent education for an effective implementation of the method.