The direct instrument NAS was more appropriate to measure nursing workload when compared to Perroca's indirect instrument in the studied intensive care unit.

Aim: to identify the complications of pressure ulcers in severely ill patients from the perspective of the nurses. Method: This is a descriptive-exploratory study which adopts a qualitative approach involving a questionnaire to nurses working in an intensive care unit of Onofre Lopes Hospital, in Natal, Brazil. The data were submitted to the content analysis topics. Results: From the comments of the professionals, we generated a category "Complications of pressure ulcers in severely ill patients", and the subcategories "infection", "period of hospitalization", "hospital costs", "mortality" and "suffering". Discussion: Ulcers lead to infections and to an increase in microbiological resistance. They increase the period of hospitalization and the costs of treatment due to the resulting complications. Mortality is related to the worsening of clinical conditions. Suffering is a result of pain and dependency. Conclusion: For the nurses, pressure ulcers are complications that generate a worsening of clinical conditions of severely ill patients, which makes it necessary to adapt the treatment.

This study aimed to identify the use of the Nursing Activities Score to measure the nursing workload in Intensive Care Unit. This is a review conducted in the databases SCOPUS, CINAHL, PUBMED and LILACS in June 2013, including 18 articles that have been published since 2002. The studies included are concentrated in Brazil; the average of Nursing Activities Score was bigger than 50%, reflecting an inconsistency with the measure recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The Nursing Activities Score was the most appropriate instrument to estimate the amount of nurses in the Intensive Care Unit.; the correlation between the Nursing Activities Score and the demographic and clinical variables are not well defined in the research results, showing variations in the studies analyzed. The Nursing Activities Score is a relatively new tool, which shows a great potential for expansion due to the good results obtained with its use so far. Descriptors: Nursing; Intensive Care Units; Workload. Objetivou-se identificar a utilização do Nursing Activities Score para dimensionar a carga de trabalho de enfermagem em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. Revisão realizada nas bases de dados SCOPUS, CINAHL, PUBMED e LILACS, em junho de 2013, sendo incluídos 18 artigos publicados a partir de 2002. Os estudos concentram-se no Brasil; a média de Nursing Activities Score foi maior que 50%, refletindo incoerência com o dimensionamento preconizado pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil. O Nursing Activities Score foi o instrumento mais adequado para estimar o quantitativo de profissionais de enfermagem em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva; a correlação do Nursing Activities Score com variáveis demográficas e clínicas ainda não está bem definida nos resultados das pesquisas, apresentando variações nos estudos analisados. O Nursing Activities Score é um instrumento relativamente novo, o qual apresenta grande potencial de expansão em função dos resultados eficazes encontrados com seu uso até o momento. Descritores: Enfermagem; Unidades de Terapia Intensiva; Carga de Trabalho. El objetivo fue identificar el uso del Nursing Activities Score para dimensionar la carga de trabajo de enfermería en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Revisión realizada en las bases de datos SCOPUS, CINAHL, PubMed y LILACS, en junio de 2013, en que se incluyeron 18 artículos publicados desde 2002. Los estudios se concentran en el Brasil; los medios Nursing Activities Score fue mayor que 50%, reflejando incompatibilidad con el recomendado por el Ministerio de la Salud brasileño. El Nursing Activities Score fue el instrumento más adecuado para estimar la cantidad de personal de enfermería en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos; la correlación del Nursing Activities Score con variables demográficas y clínicas no está bien definida en los resultados de búsqueda, presentándose variaciones en los estudios analizados. El Nursing Activities Score es una herramienta relativamente nueva que presenta gran potencial de expansión por los resultados eficaces obtenidos con su uso hasta el momento.