PURPOSE: To describe the performance of nursing professionals with patients with swallowing disorders. METHODS: Cross-sectional, comparative study of stratified sampling, where 130 nursing professionals of a university hospital were interviewed. The mean age of the groups was 29.16 years, with a standard deviation of 11.81. From the professionals interviewed, 64% were female, and 23% were male. Data were statistically analyzed using the Exact Fischer's test, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: From the interviewed professionals, 92.33% reported that the speech therapist is the professional responsible for the rehabilitation of patients with swallowing disorders; 87% showed appropriate knowledge about the diseases that might cause swallowing disorders, and 94.66% declared to know how to identify patients with signs or symptoms of swallowing disorders. The present study allowed demonstrating that nurses are more prepared than technicians, who are more prepared than nursing assistants, in some related items regarding swallowing disorders. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the nursing professionals interviewed have an adequate intervention before swallowing disorders in hospitalized patients.
Nurse's role; Rehabilitation nursing; Deglutition disorders; Nurse-patient relations; Comprehensive health care; Continuity of patient care
