Objective:To describe the workload of the nursing team and relate it with patient safety outcomes in clinical and surgical inpatient units of a university hospital. Method: Crosssectional study, carried out from October 2013 to September 2015. The factor under study was the workload, expressed as the ratio between the mean number of patients and the number of nursing professionals in 24 hours and in the day shifts. Results: The sample consisted of 157,481 patients, 502 nursing professionals and 264 observations of safety outcomes. The ratios of patients per nurse and per nursing technician in day shifts indicate a mean estimate of 14-15 and 5-6 patients per professional, respectively. There was a significant association between the workloads in the inpatient units and average length of stay, urinary infection related to invasive procedure and the satisfaction of patients with nursing care. Conclusion: The increase in the workload of the nursing team had an impact on quality of care and safety for patients. An adequate staffing promotes a safer care environment.

This study proposes an essay of issues involving human resources planning in nursing in the hospital sector in our current reality, discussing possible topics for future research. This is a retrospective of the evolution of research on determining the number of staff in Brazil, and the incorporation of new instruments to evaluate the work load based on the degree of dependency of the patients and actions in care. The impact of the quantity and quality of human resources on the results of care is discussed, and the role of leaders in adapting the staff composition, in order to supply safe, risk-free care to the patients and their families, seeking a management model for health practices from the perspective of complex care.

Objetivo: analisar o uso da hipodermóclise em pacientes com câncer em cuidados paliativos. Método: estudo transversal descritivo, com objetivo de descrever a experiência da utilização da hipodermóclise em pacientes sob cuidados paliativos, realizado em um hospital universitário do sul do Brasil. A amostra, por conveniência, abrangeu 80 pacientes que internaram em cuidados paliativos entre março/2014 e março/2015. A coleta de dados ocorreu mediante instrumento específico e a análise por estatística descritiva. Resultados: as neoplasias predominantes foram pâncreas 9(11,3%), intestino 8(10%), pulmão 8(10%) e gástrica 8(10%). Entre as indicações para hipodermóclise prevaleceram analgesia 63(78,8%), rede venosa precária 51(63,8%) e intolerância oral 38(47,5%). Dos 21 fármacos prescritos e administrados destacam-se morfina 76(95,0%), metoclopramida 49(61,3%), dipirona 39(48,8%), ondansetrona 29(36,3%) e dexametasona 12(15,0%). Ocorreram 105 punções e nenhuma complicação sistêmica. Considerações finais: a hipodermóclise mostrou-se uma terapêutica medicamentosa eficaz, segura e menos invasiva na prática clínica paliativista.

Introdução: A hipodermóclise é uma via de infusão em pacientes com câncer nos casos em que os acessos oral e endovenoso não estão disponíveis. Considerando a sua utilidade no controle dos sintomas no final de vida, faz-se importante ampliar o conhecimento e a divulgação das experiências quanto aos seus benefícios. Relato de caso: Trata-se de dois relatos de caso de pacientes com câncer, nos quais a hipodermóclise foi utilizada para administração de medicamentos. Conclusão: Essa prática apresentou-se como uma via segura, minimamente invasiva e eficaz no tratamento sintomático dos pacientes com câncer em cuidados paliativos.

Objective: to describe the use of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to appraise and to strengthen the methodological rigor of mixed methods studies in nursing. Method: a theoretical essay was used to describe the application of Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to support the development and assessment of mixed methods research in nursing. Four mixed methods articles in nursing were purposely chosen and evaluated based on the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool criteria. Results: Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool is a tool for evaluating primary mixed methods studies based on five evaluation criteria: 1) justification for adopting mixed methods methodology; 2) integration between the quantitative and qualitative components; 3) interpretation of integrated findings of quantitative and qualitative data; 4) presentation of divergences between quantitative and qualitative results; and 5) compliance with the methodological rigor of each individual approach in mixed methods research. Conclusion: Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool is an instrumental resource that can be used to appraise mixed methods research and strengthen the methodological rigor in planning and conducting future mixed studies in nursing research.