ABSTRACT
Objective:
To analyze whether an increase in patient severity and nursing workload are correlated to a greater incidence of adverse events (AEs) in critical patients.
Method:
A prospective single cohort study was performed on a sample of 138 patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU).
Results:
A total of 166 AEs, occurred, affecting 50.7% of the patients. Increased patient severity presented a direct relationship to the probability of AEs occurring. However, nursing workload did not present a statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of AEs.
Conclusion:
The results cast light on the importance of using evaluation tools by the nursing personnel in order to optimize their daily activities and focus on patient safety.
Descriptors:
Nursing Care; Patient Severity; Workload; Safety Management; Patient Safety