Behavioral responses of three armadillo species (Mammalia: Xenarthra) to an environmental enrichment program in Villavicencio, Colombia.

Enrichment is a powerful tool to improve the welfare of animals under human care. Stress-related health and behavioral problems, as well as reproductive failure, are frequent in armadillos (Xenarthra, Cingulata, Dasypodidae) under human care, which hinders the development of successful ex situ conservation programs. Nevertheless, scientific studies on the effect of enrichment programs on armadillos are virtually non-existent. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an enrichment program on the behavior of armadillos under human care. The behavior of 12 individuals of three species (Dasypus novemcinctus, D. sabanicola, and Cabassous unicinctus) maintained at Finca El Turpial, Villavicencio, Colombia, was recorded using scan sampling during three daily time blocks of 2 hr each before (4 weeks) and after (4 weeks) implementing an enrichment program. Enrichment did not stimulate the armadillos to change or extend their activity period. In general, activity levels were low during the entire study, and virtually no activity was recorded in the morning in any species, neither without nor with enrichment. The latter did, however, improve welfare by reducing abnormal and increasing natural foraging behaviors. All species were attracted by artificial termite mounds. Dasypus spp. showed special interest in cardboard boxes with food, while Cabassous was mainly attracted to hollow plastic balls filled with food. Our results suggest that separate enrichment programs need to be developed for different armadillo species, and that they should be applied during the time of day at which they are most active. Zoo Biol. 35:304-312, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A operacionalização do processo de enfermagem em terapia intensiva neonatal / Operationalization of nursing process in neonatal intensive care

O processo de enfermagem é um método que viabiliza a sistematização da assistência e a individualização do cuidado prestado ao paciente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi conhecer as etapas do processo de enfermagem aplicadas em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN), sua forma de aplicação e de registro. Desenvolveu-se um estudo exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, entre 31 de julho e 12 de setembro de 2006. A população do estudo foi constituída por cinco enfermeiros da UTIN de um hospital de médio porte da rede pública de saúde do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul. São desenvolvidos o histórico de enfermagem e, eventualmente, a evolução de enfermagem. Evidenciou-se que não há sistematização das etapas do processo de enfermagem na instituição investigada, inexiste definição de competências assistenciais para o enfermeiro nos diferentes turnos de trabalho e que o registro do referido processo nem sempre é realizado.

The Nursing Process (NP) is a method that enables the systematization and individualization of care given to the patient. The aim of the present study was to investigate NP steps at a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), its application, and its registering. An exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach was developed between July 31st and September 12th, 2006. The study population was made up of five NICU nurses from a medium-size public hospital located in Vale do Rio dos Sinos, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was evinced that there is no systematization of the NP steps at the institution investigated; no standard care procedures are developed in the different work shifts; and not always is there required registering of the NP steps developed.

El proceso de enfermería és un método que viabiliza la sistematización de la asisténcia y la individualización del cuidado prestado al paciente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue conocer las etapas del processo de enfermería aplicadas en una Unidad de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN), su forma de aplicación y de registro. Se desarrolló un estudio explorativo, descriptivo, con enfoque qualitativo, entre 31 de julio y 12 de septiembre de 2006. La populación del estudio fue constituída por cinco enfermeros de la UTIN de un hospital de médio porte de la red pública de salud de Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Son desarrollados el histórico de enfermería y, eventualmente, evolución de enfermería. Se evidenció que no hay sistematización de las etapas del proceso de enfermería en la institución investigada, no hay definición de competencias asistenciales para el enfermero en los diferentes turnos de trabajo y que el registro del proceso de enfermería no és siempre realizado.