Functions developed by nurse in an intensive care unit

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study aiming to identify the functions performed by the nurse in the Intensive Care Unit, following the Canadian frame about functions of nurse (care, educate, coordinate, collaborate and supervise). Data collection occurred in 2009 by applying a questionnaire and the systematic observation of nine nurses in an intensive care unit of a private hospital in the city of Curitiba. The collected data were categorized by the technique of content analysis. The results indicate that the nurses are mostly young women, who have no expertise in the intensive care unit. The observation of the activities found out that all the functions described in the frame are performed by nurses of this service, and the functions of coordination, supervision and expertise technical care were the most significant.