DEGREE OF DEPENDENCE OF NURSING FOR CLIENTS OF A HOSPITAL PUBLIC SECONDARY

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the nursing dependency degree of hospitalized clients in the adult inpatient unit and emergency medical inpatient of a public hospital of secondary care. This is a descriptive exploratory study that used a classification of category instrument which contained eight care areas, complemented with three areas corresponding to the evaluation of patients with wounds, for the classification of categories of nursing care undertaken. Classification was made as to the categories of nursing care for 2,990 clients in the adult inpatient unit and emergency medical inpatient of a public hospital of secondary care. In both studied units (total sample), the minimum degree of dependence was the most frequent with 32.4%, followed by the high dependence with 26.2%, the intermediary with 25.3%, the semi-intensive with 11.3% and intensive care with 4.8%. In relation to adults inpatient unit, the care categories most predominant related to nursing, respectively, were high and intermediate dependency. Thus, the findings showed that the studied public hospital of secondary care showed a degree of dependence of inpatients similar or higher that those hospitalized in health services of high complexity.