[Time standards of nursing in Primary Health Care: an observational study]. / Padrões de tempo médio das intervenções de enfermagem na Estratégia de Saúde da Família: um estudo observacional.

OBJECTIVE: To determine time standards for interventions and activities conducted by nursing professionals in Family Health Units (FHU) in Brazil to substantiate the calculation of work force. METHOD: This was an observational study carried out in 27 FHU, in 12 municipalities in 10 states, in 2013. In each unit, nursing professionals were observed every 10 minutes, for eight work hours, on five consecutive days via the work sampling technique. RESULTS: A total of 32,613 observations were made, involving 47 nurses and 93 nursing technicians/assistants. Appointments were the main intervention carried out by nurses, with a mean time of 25.3 minutes, followed by record-keeping, which corresponded to 9.7%. On average, nursing technicians/assistants spent 6.3% of their time keeping records and 30.6 intervention minutes on immunization/vaccination control. CONCLUSION: The study resulted in standard times of interventions carried out by the FHU nursing team, which can underpin the determination of nursing staff size and human resource policies. Furthermore, the study showed the panorama of interventions currently employed, allowing for the work process to be reviewed and optimized.

Nursing staff in the internal medicine and surgical units of teaching hospitals: composition and cost. / Quadro de profissionais de enfermagem em unidades médico-cirúrgicas de hospitais de ensino: composição e custos.

Objective Evaluate the mean quantitative and qualitative nursing staff working in the internal medicine and surgical units of three public general teaching hospitals in the city of São Paulo, compared to projected mean staff according to the parameters of Cofen Resolution No. 293/04, as well as measure the mean cost of current and projected nursing staff. Method Quantitative, descriptive, exploratory study using prospective data collection. Results In most of the units studied, the number of nursing professionals was adequate. In two of the institutions, the percentage of nurses was lower than that recommended by Cofen. Qualitative and quantitative adjustment of the staff would represent a monthly cost increase of R$141,326 for Hospital A, R$138,989 for Hospital B, and a reduction of R$99,028 for Hospital C. Conclusion The main contribution of this study was the proposed method for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of nursing staff, in addition to determining the average cost for adjustments.

Nursing interventions in pediatric care: a contribution to measuring workload. / Intervenções de enfermagem em pediatria: contribuição para a mensuração da carga de trabalho.

Objective To identify and validate interventions/activities developed by a nursing team in a Brazilian pediatric unit. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional, and observational study was developed in the pediatric clinic of the university hospital of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. It was organized in the following stages: identifying activities carried out by the team (from records in patient charts and from direct observation); mapping out and validating activities identified in interventions according to the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC). Results The 275 identified activities were mapped out into 63 interventions, 22 NIC classes and 7 NIC domains, and 25 associated and 13 personal activities. After validation, the number of activities decreased to 244, corresponding to 53 interventions, 20 NIC classes and 6 NIC domains, and 30 associated activities and 9 personal activities. Conclusion Identifying the interventions/activities performed by the nursing team can help measure workload and is an important contribution to overcoming difficulties when it comes to operationalizing the process of sizing professional teams in the field of pediatrics.

[Creation and validation of an instrument to identify nursing activities in pediatric wards: information for determining workload]. / Construção e validação de instrumento para identificação das atividades de enfermagem em unidades pediátricas: subsídio para determinação da carga de trabalho.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for identifying nursing activities performed in a pediatric ward and to provide a basis for defining the workload of these units. The instrument was developed by selecting the activities relevant to pediatric nursing from the Nursing Intervention Classification and then submitting them to a panel of judges for validation. The panel considered the selected activities relevant and representative of pediatric nursing practice. Now that representative activities for the nursing workload have been identified, we envision new studies to verify their usefulness in practice. Determining the amount of time each activity takes to perform will help to develop a system for measuring the workloads of nursing teams in pediatric wards.

[Standardization of activities in an oncology surgical center according to nursing intervention classification]. / Padronização das atividades em centro cirúrgico oncológico segundo a classificação das intervençães de enfermagem.

This study was undertaken in a surgical center specializing in oncology, and it aimed to identify nursing activities performed during the perioperative period and to classify and validate intervention activities according to the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). A survey of activities was conducted using records and by direct observation of nursing care across four shifts. Activities were classified as NIC nursing interventions using the cross-mapping technique. The list of interventions was validated by nursing professionals in workshops. Forty-nine interventions were identified: 34 of direct care and 15 of indirect care. Identifying nursing interventions facilitates measuring the time spent in their execution, which is a fundamental variable in the quantification and qualification of nurses' workloads.

[The identification of nursing interventions in primary health care: a parameter for personnel staffing]. / Identificação das intervenções de enfermagem na Atenção Primária à Saúde: parâmetro para o dimensionamento de trabalhadores.

In Primary Health Care (PHC) there is empirical planning regarding the nursing staff, which causes a distortion between personnel distribution and the real needs of the health units. The objective was to identify the nursing interventions at the PHC that support personnel staffing. The following sources were: literature review of databases from 1999-2009; field observation at a Family Health Unit; survey of family forms; mapping of nursing activities and interventions according to the Nursing Interventions Classification; and validation of these interventions. A total of 169 activities were identified: 11 associated activities; five personnel activities and 153 direct and indirect care giving activities validated in seven domains, 15 classes and 46 NIC interventions. The study allowed for recognition of the nursing practices at the PHC by means of a standardized language, providing support for its application in the creation of instruments to identify the nursing workload.

[Nursing care time in a teaching hospital]. / Tempo de assistência de enfermagem em instituição hospitalar de ensino.

This is a quantitative exploratory, descriptive study performed with the objective to identify and analyze the performance of the average time of nursing care delivered to patients of the Inpatient Units of the University Hospital at University of São Paulo (UH-USP), from 2001 to 2005. The average nursing care time delivered to patients of the referred units was identified by applying of a mathematical equation proposed in the literature, after surveying data from the Medical and Statistical Service and based on the monthly working shifts of the nursing professionals. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The average nursing care time observed in most units, despite some variations, remained stable during the analyzed period. Based on this observed stability, it is concluded that the nursing staff in the referred HU-USP units has been continuously evaluated with the purposes of maintaining the average time of assistance and, thus, the quality of the care being delivered.

[Pediatric Patient Classification System: construction and validation of care categories]. / Sistema de Classificação de Pacientes Pediátricos: construção e validação de categorias de cuidados.

Patient classification is essential for managing a hospital unit. Literature, however, does not present conceptualizations of pediatric patient categories. The objectives of this study were to define and validate pediatric patient care categories, according to the level of dependency of the nursing team. The care categories were defined based on a literature review, and the content of the proposed categories was validated by a group of judges involved in managing and providing care in a pediatric unit, and by judges involved in pediatric education and research as well as in the construction of patient instruments. Five care categories were established and validated: Minimal, Intermediate, High dependency, Semi-intensive and Intensive. The validation of the care categories were the basis for constructing a system for the classification of pediatric patients, that may contribute with the decision making process of nurses working in management and health care.

[Nursing staff absenteeism rates as a personnel management indicator]. / Taxa de absenteísmo da equipe de enfermagem como indicador de gestão de pessoas.

Absenteeism in nursing is a difficult problem for health organizations; hence it is an indicator that must be monitored. The objective of this study was to analyze the absenteeism rate of nursing professionals in a public hospital. Absenteeism data were collected monthly, from January to July 2008, and calculated by means of an electronic program. The mean absenteeism index for nurses varied from 5.6% to 9.7% for technicians/nursing aides. Sick leaves were the most prevalent reason for absences. The data revealed the major cause of absenteeism and pointed at the need to change policies for hiring nursing professionals, in addition to reviewing the working processes in order to improve the workers' health conditions.

The setting of research production by nursing and management graduate programs in Brazil. / Cenário das pesquisas na pós-graduação na área de enfermagem e gerenciamento no Brasil.

This documental, descriptive study was performed using a quantitative approach with the objective to characterize the production by nursing graduates in Brazil in the 2007-2009 triennium, with emphasis on nursing management. Data was collected from the CAPES database, which allows access to the abstracts of theses and dissertations. The material was analyzed and categorized according to areas/fields and the respective lines of research, as defined in Nursing. The overall production analysis was descriptive and analytical in the field of organization, namely management. The results showed that, compared to previous studies, production underwent some changes in the triennium, with an increase in the area of health care, maintenance in the organizational area, and decrease in the professional area. Regarding the management theme, most studies addressed health assessment, the conceptions/perceptions regarding planning/organizing work-services and permanent education.

Cost of nursing staffing adequacy in a neonatal unit. / Custo da adequação quantitativa de profissionais de enfermagem em Unidade Neonatal.

The objectives of this descriptive, quantitative study were: to identify the mean nursing care time provided and required by newborns (NB) hospitalized at the Neonatal Unit of the University of São Paulo University Hospital; to calculate the cost of the mean nursing care time provided and required, by NB; to assess the cost of the nursing staffing adequacy required to assist the NB. The mean nursing care times, provided by the nursing staff and required by NBs, were calculated using equations available in the literature and by applying the Nursing Activities Score. The costs of the mean nursing care times and to make nursing staffing adequate were calculated based on the hourly cost of nurses and nursing technicians. The financial impact of nursing staffing adequacy accounted for a 30% increase over the cost of the current situation.

Computerized nursing staffing: a software evaluation. / Dimensionamento informatizado de profissionais de enfermagem: avaliação de um software.

The complexity involved in operationalizing the method for nursing staffing, in view of the uncountable variable related to identifying the workload, the effective working time of the staff, and the Technical Security Index (TSI) revealed the need to develop a software program named: Computerized Nursing Staffing (DIPE, in Portuguese acronyms). This exploratory, descriptive study was performed with the objective to evaluate the technical quality and functional performance of DIPE. Participants were eighteen evaluators, ten of whom where nurse faculty or nurse hospital unit managers, and eight health informatics experts. The software evaluation was performed according to norm NBR ISO/IEC 9126-1, considering the features functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, and maintainability. The software evaluation reached positive results and agreement among the evaluators for all the evaluated features. The reported suggestions are important for proposing further improving and enhancing the DIPE.

[Nurses' work time distribution at emergency service]. / Distribuição do tempo de trabalho das enfermeiras em unidade de emergencia.

The objective of this quantitative, descriptive, case study was to identify and analyze the distribution of nurses' work time at an emergency service. To do this, the work sampling method was used. The nursing activities performed by the studied nurses were identified by evaluating the patient care forms and by direct observation of nurses during their everyday work routine at the service. The identified activities were then categorized according to a standardized language system. It was found that 35% of the nurses' time was dedicated to indirect care interventions, 35% to direct care interventions, 18% to private time activities and 12% to related activities. The average productivity of the studied workers was 82%. This study provided evidence of perspectives to perform further research to identify the parameters that would support the process of rightsizing nursing personnel at emergency services.

Identification of nursing workload in the Sterile Processing Department. / Identificação da carga de trabalho da enfermagem em Centro de Material e Esterilização.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the workload in the Sterile Processing Department as a parameter for the method of nursing staff sizing. METHOD: Quantitative, observational study conducted in four hospitals in the city of São Paulo, in three steps: mapping of activities in work positions; determination of the standard processing time of materials; and establishment of the average daily workload. RESULTS: In the 15 mapped work positions, 1315 samples of time were obtained. As the time values did not show significant differences, it was possible to determine the standard processing time of materials. The average daily workloads corresponded to 217.4; 294.0; 123.1; and 189.1 hours. CONCLUSION: In addition to proposing a method to determine the workload, the present study indicates parameters for the processing of materials and serves as an important reference to develop consistent proposals for the planning, allocation and distribution of nursing staff in these departments.

[Nurses' time distribution: identification and analysis in a medical-surgical unit]. / Distribuição do tempo das enfermeiras: identificação e análise em Unidade Médico-Cirúrgica.

This study was performed to identify and analyze the distribution of nurses' work hours at a medical-surgical hospitalization unit, in view of the impact on making the nursing personnel dimensioning process effective during their work hours. Of the activities that nurses performed, 50% of the nurses' time was invested on indirect care interventions, 22% on direct care interventions, 18% on personal time activities, and 10% on associated activities. These data confirm previous reports that show a need to consider nursing personnel's personal time and associated activities in the official rightsizing methods.

Care time and quality indicators in Intensive Care Units.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the correlation between nursing care time and care quality indicators. METHOD: Observational, correlational study, developed in 11 Intensive Care Units. The population comprised records of the number of nursing professionals, the number of patients with at least one of the Oro/Nasogastroenteral Probe (GEPRO), Endotracheal Tube (COT) and Central Venous Catheter (CVC) therapeutic devices and the occurrences related to the losses of these artifacts. RESULTS: The time corresponded to 18.86 hours (Hospital A), 21 hours (Hospital B) and 19.50 hours (Hospital C); the Unplanned Outflow Incidence of GEPRO indicator presented a mean of 2.19/100 patients/day; Unplanned Extubation of COT Incidence, 0.42/100 patients/day; and CVC Loss Incidence, 0.22/100 patients/day. There was no statistically significant correlation between time and indicators analyzed. CONCLUSION: This research may support methodological decisions for future investigations that seek the impact of human resources on the care quality and patient safety.

Patient classification system: a proposal to complement the instrument by Fugulin et al.

Analysis of patient classification instruments available in the literature shows that many significant aspects related to the assistance to patients with wounds are not approached, evidencing the importance to elaborate criteria to assess these patients. This study proposes the development of new of areas of care to complement the Fugulin et al. instrument, validated by the Federal Nursing Council (COFEN). The construction of new areas to evaluate wounds was based on a bibliographic search on the operational models of the Patient Classification System (PCS), as well as on several instruments of wound classification. New areas of care were established, as follows: tissue impairment, number of dressing changes and time taken to their preparation. Values were also redefined indicating the patient's assistance category. The complementation of the Fugulin et al. instrument, proposed here, favors the application of this instrument in a more diversified group of patients since it adds a relevant assistance aspect, as the dressing issue.

[Technical safety index of a teaching hospitals pediatrics unit nursing staff]. / Indice de segurança técnica da equipe de enfermagem da pediatria de um hospital de ensino.

This study was aimed at identifying the Technical Safety Index (ITS, in the Portuguese acronym) of the nursing team of the University of São Paulo's Hospital Universitário's Pediatrics Unit (2001-2005). Percentages for each type of absence of nursing professionals were obtained from the Nursing Department or calculated based on the equations found in the literature. Absences due to days off were the highest percentage. Total percentages of unplanned absences were lower than those referring to planned absences, which contradict nurses who report this type of absence as the main cause for health institutions understaffing. IST variation highlights the importance of carrying out systematic evaluations of the nursing team's absences, as well as of identifying specific indexes for each unit, as subsidies for the evaluation of the personnel in health organizations.

Effect of nursing care hours on the outcomes of Intensive Care assistance.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate the average number of nursing care hours dedicated to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with nursing care indicators. METHOD: Transverse, descriptive study conducted between 2011 and 2013. Data were obtained from the electronic records system and from the nursing staff daily schedule. Generalized Linear Models were used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,717 patients were included in the study. The average NAS (Nursing Activities Score) value was 54.87. The average ratio between the number of nursing care hours provided to the patient and the number of nursing care hours required by the patient (hours ratio) was 0.87. Analysis of the correlation between nursing care indicators and the hours ratio showed that the indicators phlebitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia significantly correlated with hours ratio; that is, the higher the hours ratio, the lower the incidence of phlebitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia. CONCLUSION: The number of nursing care hours directly impacts patient outcomes, which makes adjustment of nurse staffing levels essential.

[The regulation of labor relations and human resources management in nursing]. / A regulação das relações de trabalho e o gerenciamento de recursos humanos em enfermagem.

This paper is aimed at discoursing on the regulation of labor relations in Nursing and at giving subsidies to the nurse's managerial practice concerning the rights and obligations of employees and employers based on the Brazilian Labor Law and the Federal Constitution. It emphasizes some regulations that are not clear enough and give rise to doubts and conflicts on the nurse's daily professional activities, such as working hours, resting periods in and between journeys, extra pay for overtime work, weekly paid rest and changes in work schedule. The adequacy of nursing practice to legal rules should allow nurses to get more knowledge, resulting in more confidence and safer actions. By having professional and patient's rights respected, occasional juridical problems inherent to labor rights and obligations will be reduced.