PROCESSO DE ENFERMAGEM NA UTI PEDIÁTRICA: APLICABILIDADE NA PRÁTICA ASSISTENCIAL DO ENFERMEIRO EM UM HOSPITAL ESCOLA DE CAMPO GRANDE - MS.

Abstract

Introduction: During the practice of care, nurses apply technical and scientific knowledge acquired during undergraduate studies to assist in clinical practice. Among these, the Nursing Process (NP) stands out, structured in 5 interrelated and interdependent stages that aim to promote safe and effective care. Objective: To identify the applicability of the Nursing Process in terms of its use and importance among nurses working in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at University Hospital, located in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Method: This cross-sectional study adopted a quantitative, descriptive, and analytical design and was conducted in two phases. The first phase consisted of administering a mixed questionnaire to pediatric ICU nurses during August and September 2025 to determine the extent of NP implementation and its applicability within the institution’s digital records system. The second phase involved a retrospective analysis of nursing diagnoses documented by nurses in the electronic medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with pneumonia in 2024. Results: Fourteen nurses participated in the study, all with more than ten years of professional experience; among them, 64.3% held postgraduate qualifications specific to pediatric ICU practice. Additionally, 71.5% reported consistently using the Nursing Process in their professional activities, noting that it facilitates their daily work due to its practicality and ease of application (78.6%). However, 85.8% stated that they were unable to apply the process consistently due to time constraints in the workplace. The secondary data analysis included nine digital medical records, with 54.5% of the patients being female and most between 1 and 12 months of age (54.5%). These patients predominantly presented a clinical profile with a length of stay of fewer than ten days (72.7%). The most frequently identified nursing diagnoses related to pneumonia were: ineffective breathing pattern, risk of infection, ineffective airway clearance, and risk of falls. Conclusion: Many strengths and weaknesses were identified in the applicability of the NP in the hospital's online system, including lack of time and lack of institutional incentive which became limiting factors for the clinical reasoning of professionals in their daily practice.