Conceptions of patient safety through the prism of social representations of intensive care nurses/Concepciones de seguridad del paciente a traves del prisma de las representaciones sociales de las enfermeras intensivistas/Concepcoes de seguranca do paciente pelo prisma das representacoes sociais de enfermeiros intensivistas

• Published in: Investigación y educación en enfermería 2021-05, Vol.39 (2)
• Main Authors: Barreto, Rejane Santos, Servo, Maria Lucia Silva, Vilela, Alba Benemerita Alves, Fontoura, Elaine Guedes, de Lima Souza, Sinara, Santana, Neuranides
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0120-5307
• DOI: 10.17533/udea.iee.v39n2e06

Objective. To analyze the concepts of patient safety from the perspective of the social representations of intensive care nurses. Methods. An exploratory, qualitative and quantitative study, based on the Theory of Social Representations, was conducted in a large hospital in northeastern Brazil, with 20 intensive care nurses. Data collection took place in 2019, using the techniques of free word association test and semi-structured interview. The lexicons apprehended in the test were processed by the OpenEvoc software, by prototypical analysis of the evocations, and for the interview data, thematic content analysis was used. Results. In the composition of the central nucleus, the elements of surveillance, knowledge, identification, communication, and quality stood out, and in the constitution of the peripheral system of the social representations of intensive care nurses permeate care, attention, attitudes, and normative aspects. The triangulation of the findings outlined three thematic categories: Central dimensions of critical patient safety; Attitudinal dimensions for patient safety in intensive care; Normative dimensions linked to the safe handling of the patient in the ICU. Conclusion. The social representations of intensive care nurses reveal that the critical patient's conceptions of security involve effective surveillance and communication, promotion of a safe environment based on risk prevention, use of guides and protocols, teamwork, and the sense of responsibility and commitment to individuality of being cared for, elements that for this social group, are the differential for assertive and safe care. Descriptors: patient safety; intensive care units; nurses. Objetivo. Analizar los conceptos de seguridad del paciente desde la perspectiva de las representaciones sociales de los enfermeros de cuidados intensivos. Metodos. Estudio exploratorio, cualitativo y cuantitativo, basado en la Teoria de las Representaciones Sociales, realizado en un hospital del noreste de Brasil, con 20 enfermeras de cuidados intensivos. La recoleccion de datos se realizo en 2019, utilizando las tecnicas de prueba de asociacion de palabras libre y entrevista semiestructurada. Los lexicos aprehendidos en la prueba se procesaron por el software OpenEvoc, mediante analisis prototipico de las evocaciones. Para los datos de la entrevista se utilizo analisis de contenido tematico. Resultados. En la composicion del nucleo central se destacaron los elementos de vigilancia, conocimien