Obstinação terapêutica sob o referencial bioético da vulnerabilidade na prática da enfermagem / Willfulness therapeutic under reference bioethical vulnerability the practice nursing

A tecnologia desencadeia dilemas bioéticos, entre eles a obstinação terapêutica. E frente a esses dilemas enfermeiros priorizam avanços tecnológicos aos saberes reflexivos. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi o de compreender a percepção do enfermeiro de UTI sobre obstinação terapêutica, à luz do referencial bioético da vulnerabilidade. Como método, utilizou-se a pesquisa descritiva, análise do conteúdo de Bardin, com quatorze estudantes pós-graduandos do Curso de Especialização de uma instituição de ensino superior privada que atuavam em UTI, há mais de um ano, após aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa e dos entrevistados. Como resultados obteve-se duas categorias: desconhecimento do conceito; posicionamento, com cinco subcategorias: passividade diante da decisão médica, dificuldade de enfrentar a terminalidade; percebendo negativamente a obstinação terapêutica, sentimentos em relação a terminalidade do jovem e criança, reconhecendo o papel do enfermeiro em relação a terminalidade. Desconhecimento sobre obstinação terapêutica influencia na vulnerabilidade do enfermeiro ao vivenciar tal situação, provavelmente não foi preparado durante a graduação e pós-graduação, principalmente quando os envolvidos são jovens ou crianças. Também estão despreparados a reconhecer quando a recuperação do paciente está em detrimento à tecnologia, necessitando consenso multiprofissional. Enfermeiros reconhecem a necessidade de controle da dor, diminuição do sofrimento e promoção da dignidade. Por fim, evidenciou-se a necessidade de inclusão dos aspectos bioéticos na formação do enfermeiro, pois identifica-se que estes não conhecem o conceito de obstinação terapêutica, porém reconhecem o prolongamento do processo de morte como negativo, principalmente quando estão envolvidos jovens, ainda sim, reconhecem seu papel na terminalidade. Preparar o enfermeiro desde a graduação, para lidar com situações de terminalidade possibilitará uma assistência de enfermagem mais adequada e com menor sofrimento dos envolvidos.

The technology triggers bioethical dilemmas, including the therapeutic obstinacy, and face these dilemmas, nurses prioritize technological advances to reflective knowledge. The aim of this research was to understand the perception of the ICU nurse about therapeutic obstinacy in the light of bioethical term vulnerability. As a method, we used the descriptive research, analysis of Bardin content, with fourteen graduate students of the Specialization Course of a private institution of higher education who worked in the ICU for more than a year after approval by the Ethics Committee research and interviewed. As a result, there was obtained two categories: lack concept; positioning, with five subcategories: passivity in the face of medical decision, difficulty facing the terminal illness; negatively realizing the therapeutic obstinacy, feelings towards the terminally young child, recognizing the role of the nurse in relation to terminally. Ignorance of therapeutic obstinacy influences the vulnerability of nurses to experience such a situation probably was not prepared for the undergraduate and graduate levels, especially when those involved are young people or children. They are also unprepared to recognize when the patient's recovery is rather to technology, requiring multidisciplinary consensus. Nurses recognize the need for pain control, reduced suffering and promote dignity. Finally, evidence of the need for inclusion of bioethical issues in nursing education, it identifies that these do not know the concept of therapeutic obstinacy, but recognize the prolongation of the dying process as negative, especially when they are involved young, still yes, they recognize their role in terminally. Prepare the nurse since graduation, to handle terminal situations will enable a more adequate nursing care, with less suffering of those involved.

Controlled trial measuring the effect of a feedback intervention on hand hygiene compliance in a step-down unit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hand hygiene compliance in 2 adult step-down units (SDUs). DESIGN: A 6-month (from March to September 2007), controlled trial comparing 2 SDUs, one with a feedback intervention program (ie, the intervention unit) and one without (ie, the control unit). SETTING: Two 20-bed SDUs at a tertiary care private hospital. METHODS: Hand hygiene episodes were measured by electronic recording devices and periodic observational surveys. In the intervention unit, feedback was provided by the SDU nurse manager, who explained twice a week to the healthcare workers the goals and targets for the process measures. RESULTS: A total of 117,579 hand hygiene episodes were recorded in the intervention unit, and a total of 110,718 were recorded in the control unit (P = .63). There was no significant difference in the amount of chlorhexidine used in the intervention and control units (34.0 vs 26.7 L per 1,000 patient-days; P = .36) or the amount of alcohol gel used (72.5 vs 70.7 L per 1,000 patient-days; P = .93). However, in both units, healthcare workers used alcohol gel more frequently than chlorhexidine (143.2 vs 60.7 L per 1,000 patient-days; P < .001). Nosocomial infection rates in the intervention and control units, respectively, were as follows: for bloodstream infection, 3.5 and 0.79 infections per 1,000 catheter-days (P = .18); for urinary tract infection, 15.8 and 15.7 infections per 1,000 catheter-days (P = .99); and for tracheostomy-associated pneumonia, 10.7 and 5.1 infections per 1,000 device-days (P = .13). There were no cases of infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci and only a single case of infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (in the control unit). CONCLUSIONS: The feedback intervention regarding hand hygiene had no significant effect on the rate of compliance. Other measures must be used to increase and sustain the rate of hand hygiene compliance.