Carga de trabalho da enfermagem em uma unidade de cuidados neonatal especializadas

Abstract

Introduction: The nursing workload in Specialized Neonatal Care Units is determined by the clinical severity of newborns and the high complexity of care, especially given the high prevalence of prematurity and low birth weight. Assessing this workload is essential for safe staffing, optimization of human resources, and organization of care for high-risk neonates. Materials and Methods: This is a quantitative and descriptive study conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a public university hospital, evaluating the care profile and nursing workload according to the Neonatal Patient Classification Instrument (NPCI), applied in different subunits between August and November 2022. Data were collected daily and anonymously by trained nursing students and statistically analyzed, considering complexity scores, unit profiles, and care needs. Results: There was a predominance of patients classified as semi-intensive and intensive care, with a progressive increase in complexity and care demand in type II and III units, confirming a high nursing workload and significant clinical variability among the sectors. Discussion: The care complexity in neonatal care units poses major challenges to the nursing staff, requiring constant monitoring, adequate staffing levels, and continuous updates of classification tools to ensure humanized, safe, and patient-centered care aligned with the neonatal profile. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for further research on the impact of care complexity on professionals’ health, as well as management and staffing strategies aimed at improving the quality of neonatal care in high-complexity hospital environments. This research contributes to a critical assessment of classification systems, supporting team management in neonatal care units of teaching hospitals.