Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Methotrexate Intolerance Severity Score in Brazilian Portuguese for Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: The Methotrexate Intolerance Severity Score (MISS) questionnaire is used to identify intolerance to methotrexate (MTX), but it is not available in the Brazilian Portuguese language. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the MISS in Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MISS was developed following the Guidelines for the Process of Cross-cultural Adaptation of Self-report Measures. The new version was tested in 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For the reliability assessment, the Cronbach α coefficient was used. The receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed with the objective of finding the best cutoff point for MTX intolerance and weighing the sensitivity and specificity. The concordance among the results was analyzed using the κ coefficient and factorial analysis with varimax rotation. RESULTS: This methodological study developed and applied a culturally acceptable Brazilian Portuguese version of the MISS. The MISS questionnaire presented internal consistency classified as "very good" because Cronbach α is equal to 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.87). The suitability of the data for factorial analysis was demonstrated using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin sample adequacy test (KMO = 0.723) and Bartlett sphericity test (χ2 = 499.98, p < 0.001). It was observed that a factorial analysis with 3 factors is preferred; the receiver operating characteristic curve of the MISS score was considered the cutoff point at 6 points (sensitivity 100% and specificity 89.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MISS is valid and reliable for the detection of MTX intolerance in clinical practice.

Moral distress of nursing undergraduates: Myth or reality?

INTRODUCTION: During their education process, nursing undergraduates experience ethical conflicts and dilemmas that can lead to moral distress. Moral distress can deprive the undergraduates of their working potential and may cause physical and mental health problems. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the experiences of the undergraduates in order to identify the existence of moral distress caused by ethical conflict and dilemmas experienced during their nursing education. Ethical considerations: This study was designed according to the principles of research with human beings and was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee. METHOD: A qualitative multiple-case study. Two federal higher education institutions were surveyed, from which 58 undergraduates in nursing participated in the study. The undergraduates were undergoing their professional training. The data were collected through focus groups and were submitted to thematic content analysis, with the resources of the ATLAS TI 7.0 software. RESULTS: Moral distress in undergraduates is a reality and was identified in three axes of analysis: (1) moral distress is experienced by undergraduates in the reality of healthcare services, (2) the teacher as a source of moral distress, and (3) moral distress as a positive experience. CONCLUSION: The undergraduates in nursing manifest moral distress in different stages of their education, particularly during their professional training. The academic community should reflect and seek solutions for the reality of moral distress in undergraduates.

Changes in nursing practice to improve patient safety. / Mudanças na prática de enfermagem para melhorar a segurança do paciente.

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in nursing practice to improve the quality of care and patient safety. METHOD: A case study conducted at an inpatient unit with professionals from the patient safety centre and a nursing team, totalling 31 participants. Data were collected from May to December 2015 through interviews, observations recorded in a field journal, and documentary analysis, followed by content analysis. RESULTS: The changes observed in the nursing practice included the identification of care and physical risks, especially the risk of falls and pressure injury, with the use of personal forms and the Braden scale; notification of adverse events; adoption of protocols; effective communication with permanent education and multiprofessional meetings. CONCLUSIONS: Changes were observed in the nursing practice, chiefly focused on risk management.

The practice of reporting adverse events in a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the practice of reporting adverse events by health professionals. METHOD: A qualitative case study carried out in a teaching hospital with participants of the Patient Safety Center and the nursing team. The collection took place from May to December 2015, and was conducted through interviews, observation and documentary research to treat the data using Content Analysis. RESULTS: 31 professionals participated in the study. Three categories were elaborated: The practice of reporting adverse events; Barriers in the effective practice of notifications; The importance of reporting adverse events. CONCLUSION: Notification was permeated by gaps in knowledge, fear of punishment and informal communication, generating underreporting. It is necessary to improve the interaction between leaders and professionals, with an emphasis on communication and educational practice.

Moral Distress in Family Health Strategy: experiences expressed by daily life.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the Moral Suffering experiences expressed in the daily life of the Family Health Strategy. METHOD: This is a case study with a qualitative approach, conducted between August and October 2014 in a municipality of Minas Gerais. The sample was represented by 28 professionals of family health teams. Data were collected through interviews with semi-structured questionnaires, observation, projective technique and submitted to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The results indicate that routine issues of the health care system lead professionals to experience a challenging practice in dealing with daily situations that contradict their ethical precepts and can compromise the quality of work, becoming triggers of Moral Distress. CONCLUSIONS: Social vulnerabilities such as domestic violence, poor socioeconomic conditions and organizational weaknesses of the health system were the main triggers of Moral Distress. Therefore, it is necessary to amplify this reflection by workers of the Family Health Strategy, aiming to encourage the minimization of suffering experiences, considering their ethical values. OBJETIVO: Compreender as vivências de Sofrimento Moral expressas no cotidiano da Estratégia de Saúde da Família. MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa, realizado entre os meses de agosto a outubro de 2014, cujo cenário foi um município de Minas Gerais. Participaram 28 profissionais das equipes de saúde da família. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado, observação, técnica projetiva e, submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática. RESULTADOS: Os resultados apontaram que as questões rotineiras do serviço de saúde levam os profissionais a vivenciarem uma prática desafiadora ao lidarem diariamente com situações que contradizem seus preceitos éticos capazes de comprometer a qualidade do trabalho tornando-se disparadores de Sofrimento Moral. CONCLUSÃO: As vulnerabilidades sociais, como violência doméstica e condições socioeconômicas precárias, além das fragilidades organizacionais do Sistema de Saúde, foram os principais geradores de Sofrimento Moral. Assim, considera-se necessária a reflexão ampliada sobre a temática por parte dos trabalhadores da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, com intuito de propiciar a minimização de vivências de sofrimento e uma prática profissional em consonância com seus valores éticos.

Identity Representations of People With Diabetes.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the construction of identity representations by primary health care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their relationship to the required self-care actions. A free word association technique required clients from a basic health unit (N = 34) to suggest a word or expression and justify it in response to the question, "When talking about being a diabetic, what comes to your mind?" We performed, transcribed, and categorized the recordings, then interpreted them according to thematic content analysis, social representation, and social identity theories. Intentions mediated by identity processes-social comparison, social attribution, and categorization within the studied group-and also by objectification and anchoring, provided the following social constructions: normal, accepting of the disease, feeling unaccepting, and experiencing difficulties. The disease might alter patients' identity representation within a context permeated by individuals' subjective sense.

[Participation of the nurse manager in the process of hospital accreditation]. / Participação do enfermeiro gerente no processo de acreditação hospitalar.

This study's aim was to understand the role of nurse managers in the process of hospital accreditation.This qualitative case study was conducted in a large private hospital in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Five nurse managers were interviewed using a semi-structured script from April to May, 2011 and content analysis was used to interpret the data. Results show the strategic position of this professional, his/her managerial skills and participation in the implementation and maintenance of accreditation, and the importance of care management. Nurses have played managerial roles with greater autonomy, connecting inter-sector care, which contrasts with the curative model, and have established partnerships with different social and institutional segments, adopting standards for teamwork. Managerial, healthcare, and educational work is performed from a procedural and indivisible perspective.

[The meaning of work for professionals in a substitute mental health service]. / O significado do trabalho para os profissionais de um serviço substitutivo de saúde mental.

The Psychosocial Care Center is seeing as a new strategy to address patients with mental disorders in that is has special features in everyday work that directly influence the practices developed by health professionals working in the area. To learn about the meaning of work for professionals working in a Psychosocial Care Center in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, a qualitative case study was conducted that included recorded interviews with 13 professionals from different categories. For data analysis, the technique of content analysis was used, and the results were as follows: professionals working in psychosocial care centers are satisfied with the new model of mental health care based on the anti-asylum proposal, and work fulfillment is due to the achievement of socially integrating individuals with mental disorders and helping them achieve autonomy.

[Organization of the health system from the perspective of home care professionals]. / Organização das redes de atenção à saúde na perspectiva de profissionais da atenção domiciliar.

The aim of this qualitative case study is to analyze how the health system is organized from the perspective of homecare professionals. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with seven professionals that provide home healthcare services. Content analysis revealed the following empirical categories: Perception of home care professionals in relation to their work and the health system; Difficulties in articulating the Home Care Program with other services of the health system; and, Opportunities to articulate the various health services with the Home Care Program. Results indicate that the work conducted in the Home Care Program significantly interfaces with other health service programs, and is considered important to implement principles of the National Health Service.

[Implications of hospital accreditation on the everyday lives of healthcare professionals]. / Implicações do processo de Acreditação Hospitalar no cotidiano de profissionais de saúde.

Hospital accreditation processes should be adopted to achieve the highest standards of healthcare. This process requires behavioral changes and mobilization of professionals in efforts to achieve goals and objectives, in addition to continuous improvement of healthcare. This qualitative case study was performed with the objective of analyzing the implications of hospital accreditation on the everyday lives of healthcare workers in a private hospital in Belo Horizonte. Subjects were 34 healthcare professionals from different sectors of the hospital. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to content analysis. It was observed that the accreditation process was designed as an opportunity for developing and improving the critical thinking capacity of the subjects involved. However, the requirements imposed by this process may trigger occupational stress and cause work overload.

[The cultural aspects of the practice of Community Health Agents in rural areas]. / Aspectos culturais das práticas dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde em áreas rurais.

The daily practice of Community Health Agents (CHAs) is permeated with educational interventions aimed at preventive care and health promotion. The sociocultural universe of these professionals can affect the dynamics of their practice within the community, particularly in rural areas, where there is evidence that the population expects to obtain information relative to their health and/or disease by means of cultural rites. Based on a case study, we sought to analyze the influence of the cultural practices of the agents working in a rural area in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais. The analysis revealed the presence of a strong connection between the culture and their activities. Religious beliefs and knowledge developed from the fusion of biomedical information and values based on family tradition regarding the health-disease process have a direct effect on their practices. It is emphasized that they have an important role as facilitators in the practice of health care, with a positive effect stemming from the similarity of their life experiences and inherited cultures with those of the clients, thus making it possible to develop effective interventions.

Building Culturally Competent Compassion in Nurses Caring for Vulnerable Populations.

Objective: To understand the process of building culturally competent compassion in nurses who care for vulnerable populations. Method: This is a qualitative study of a "single case study" type, developed with 18 nurses who worked in an emergency care unit in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, between October 2020 and January 2021. Data collection was performed through individual online or one-to-one interviews, following a semi-structured script. Data were treated following thematic content analysis, proposed by Bardin. All ethical precepts were taken into account. Results: After data analysis, the following categories were created: a) Looking within: the recognition of cultural identity; b) Paths to be taken: from the gap to cultural knowledge; c) Attentive listening as essential nursing care; d) Culturally competent compassion as an infinite opportunity for growth. Final considerations: Culturally competent compassion is a subjective, complex, and essential construct in holistic nursing care. When implemented successfully, we gain a significant improvement in the quality of healthcare provided to patients and their families as well as a decrease in social inequality, and the protection of human rights.

Moral suffering in health professionals: portrait of the work environment in times of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze potential triggers of moral suffering experiences of health professionals, reported in the media, during the COVID-19 pandemic and to propose a theoretical construct of analysis. METHODS: Study with qualitative approach whose data source were 50 reports published online, collected passively and actively, submitted to Content Analysis with the help of ATLAS.ti software. RESULTS: The potential moral problems that trigger moral suffering are related to the threat to moral integrity, infrastructure/logistics and teamwork problems, and emotional aspects, revealing their articulation with damage to the foundations of a healthy work environment, which generated the proposal of a construct. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The articulation between the experiences of moral suffering and the commitment of the fundamentals of a healthy work environment has brought important contributions to the adoption of strategies to protect and stimulate moral deliberation by professionals in favor of practice and society.

Bedside nurses' care model: challenges and perspectives for an innovative practice.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the practice of nurses in the context of the care model at the bedside of the patient in an Intensive Care Unit, in the light of the ethics of virtue. METHOD: Qualitative research, carried out in an Intensive Care Unit of a University Hospital MG/Brazil. Data were collected in February 2016 through a semi-structured interview applied to the 12 nurses who worked at the unit. The data were submitted to Thematic Content Analysis. RESULTS: The "bedside" care model encourages innovative practice, (re)directing nurses in the search for their telos, patient care, overcoming the fragmentation of nursing care and reconfiguring professional identity. However, the organization of the model in the scenario raised challenges related to the recognition of nurses by the multi-professional team, generating identity ruptures. CONCLUSION: The adopted bedside model interferes in the nurses' relationship with care, bringing together professional and patient, enhancing innovative and excellent practice.

Relational experiences of power and gender for nurse-managers of private hospitals.

Influenced by increased technology and globalization, Brazilian hospitals are undergoing significant changes. The managerial models focused on the male model are being slowly and gradually replaced, with an expressive participation of female nurses in management positions. Thus, we aimed to uncover some aspects of the relational experiences of power and gender of nine female nurse-managers working in four large and medium-sized private hospitals in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, through a qualitative case study. The results show that management discourses value a managerial style focused on the organizations' humanized aspects, where authoritative styles have no space. In this scenario, the work of female nurse-managers strengthens teamwork, which improves their image and contributes to forming their identity.

[Comprehensive care from the perspective of health care workers from Belo Horizonte]. / A integralidade sob a ótica dos profissionais dos Servisos de Saúde de Belo Horizonte.

The objective of this qualitative case study was to present the understanding that health care workers and administrators of Belo Horizonte have about comprehensive care. Thirty-two workers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis showed that comprehensiveness permeates the various levels of health care, adding the concept of health promotion. Interdisciplinary work emerges as a key element for the health care practice, which is made effective by sharing feelings. On the other hand, data show that comprehensive health care is only made effective provided that basic conditions are present, and services often do not provide those conditions. In conclusion, it is necessary to eliminate the fragmentations that exist in the form of health care organization as well as in the everyday practice of health care workers at the referred services so that it is possible to offer comprehensive, problem-solving care and humanize health care practices always aiming at the quality of life of the population.

High frequency of methotrexate intolerance in longstanding rheumatoid arthritis: using the methotrexate intolerance severity score (MISS).

BACKGROUND: Methotrexate (MTX) intolerance is frequent, and its early identification may impact treatment, leading to timely changes in medication that may promote patient compliance and better control of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to identify the frequency of, and risk factors for, MTX intolerance using the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Methotrexate Intolerance Severity Score (MISS) questionnaire in patients with RA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between April 2018 and April 2019 and enrolled patients with RA in regular use of oral or subcutaneous MTX for at least 3 months. Patients were invited to answer the Brazilian Portuguese version of the MISS questionnaire, and MTX intolerance was defined by a score ≥ 6 points. Age, sex, disease duration, time of MTX use, dose, route of administration, concomitant medications, comorbidities, smoking, and Disease Activity Score for 28joint (DAS28) data were collected from institutional medical records. RESULTS: Among 120 patients, 103 (85.8%) were female, the mean age was 61 (±12.5) years, the mean duration of disease was 16 (±10.3) years, and the average duration of MTX use was 7 (±5.5) years. The frequency of MTX intolerance was 21.6%. The most frequent symptoms reported after the use of MTX were nausea (92.3%), abdominal pain (46.1%), and vomiting (30.7%). Behavioral symptoms occurred in 96.1% of patients with MTX intolerance, the most frequent being restlessness and irritability. Patients who used corticosteroids were more likely to develop MTX intolerance than those not using corticosteroids (odds ratio = 2.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 7.06; p = 0.038). Conversely, increasing age showed marginally significant association with decreased risk of MTX intolerance (p = 0.059). CONCLUSIONS: The use of the MISS questionnaire disclosed high frequencies of anticipatory, associative, and behavioral symptoms in MTX-intolerant patients, and the use of corticosteroid increases the risk of MTX intolerance. We suggest that the MISS questionnaire be used routinely in clinical practice.

Nurses' practice in quilombola communities: an interface between cultural and political competence.

OBJECTIVES: to understand Family Health Strategy nurses' practices in the context of quilombola communities with an interface for cultural and political competences. METHODS: a single integrated, qualitative case study carried out on seven Family Health Strategies located in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. Seven nurses and 59 quilombolas participated. Data were collected through individual interviews with nurses, collective interviews with quilombolas and observation. For analysis, the thematic content analysis was adopted. RESULTS: the results revealed structural and territorial problems, which are configured as barriers for professional-user encounter as well as for professional practice performance. Final Considerations: it is necessary that Family Health Strategy nurses, based on political and cultural competences, create strategies that minimize the difficulties found in the implementation of health actions directed to quilombolas. Such strategies anchored in inclusive public policies.

Pleasure-suffering duality in stricto sensu graduate programs in nursing: between bridges and walls.

OBJECTIVES: to understand the pleasure-suffering duality experienced by students in stricto sensu Graduate Program in Nursing. METHODS: qualitative, integrated single-case study based on the Psychodynamics of Work. The setting was the stricto sensu Graduate Program in Nursing in Brazil. Two Graduate Programs were chosen. Data collection took place between May 2017 and April 2018, with 23 students, through interviews guided by semi-structured script and Documentary Analysis. Content Analysis was carried out. RESULTS: two analysis units emerged: Situations generating pleasure: bridges built by the Graduate Program and Situations generating suffering: walls of the Graduate Program. They were discussed in two dimensions - organizational and socio-professional relations. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: the results can contribute to the planning of actions capable of potentiating the creation of "bridges" that lead to reach of pleasure in the Graduate Program. It impels the confrontation of suffering-generating situations for the student.

Nursing work and competence in hemotherapy services: an ergological approach.

OBJETIVES: to analyze the ingredients of the competence that the nurses use in the performance of their work in hemotherapy. METHODS: qualitative study with 22 nurses, accomplished through documentary study, observation and semi-structured interview, with resources of Atlas.ti software based on the foundations of Historical Materialism Dialectic and Ergology. Performed Content Analysis. RESULTS: the domain of specific knowledge of hemotherapy and the time of experience in the area, allied to the motivation of the worker and the ability to work in a team favor the competent action in the work activities. On the other hand, the lack of adequate work conditions, especially in relation to adequate materials, equipment and structure, impairs the work of the nurse in hemotherapy. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: experience gained is critical to successful decision making. In addition, adequate working conditions, updating of knowledge and ability in teamwork favor a scenario of safe practices.