Variação temporal e compartimentalização da carga de trabalho em enfermagem em uma Unidade de Dor torácica

Abstract

Introduction: Chest Pain Units (TPUs) were created with the aim of providing fast, priority and specialized care in cardiac emergencies. The growing demand for specialized health services and the overcrowding of emergency care units have contributed to the overload of the care team, especially the nursing team, directly affecting the quality of care provided to patients. Objectives: To compare the variation in nursing workload in a chest pain unit between 2013 and 2024, in addition to characterizing some of the determinants of this workload in 2024. Methodology: retrospective, quantitative, longitudinal, analytical and descriptive research. Data were collected and analyzed as part of the evaluation of the management activities of the Chest Pain Unit of the Hospital de Clínicas de Uberlândia (HCU). Results: Regarding the type of care, in 2024 there was a predominance of High Dependency care (64.25%), followed by Semi-Intensive Care (26.23%). The items that obtained the highest scores in the Santos SCP instrument were “ambulation”, “body care” and “vital signs”. Regarding the evaluation of patients according to the hospitalization unit and the type of bed, it was observed that patients admitted to simple units and stabilization beds presented greater care complexity when compared to patients admitted to the mixed unit. There were no substantial changes in the care profile between the two years evaluated. Conclusion: Data analysis suggests that, over the years, there has been a slight but significant increase in the complexity of care provided by this specialized subunit of emergency care, which may be related to the growing demand for specialized care, combined with changes in the profile of patients, changes in the organizational structure of the unit and internal flows, in addition to the shortage of available beds, leading to an overload of work for the nursing team.