Nursing responsibility in the administration of medications: some thoughts about a safe practice with care quality

A nursing role that is worthy of reflection is the administration of medications, as it involves legal and ethical aspects of impact on professional practice. Errors in the administration of medications point out the responsibility of the nursing category. An adequate performance of this role enables the prevention of real errors. The purpose of this study was to analyze nursing responsibilities in the administration of medications through a bibliographical research in the Medline and Lilacs data bases (1997/1999). Results showed the lack of published works on this theme and, therefore, the need for reflections on nursing professionals participation in the administration of medications, especially concerning publications.     

Stimulus to child development: knowledge production in nursing

This integrative literature review aimed to identify nursing actions for stimulating child development in national and international journals, between 2000 and 2009. Medline and Lilacs were examined, with analysis of fifteen articles. Results point out ludic elements as essential for child development and state that it should be explored by nursing professionals through art, music, toys and theatre. Soften the stress of hospitalization through environmental adjustments reduces its impact on child development. Guiding and intervening in the inter-relationships are nursing actions for the social and behavioral development of children. The themes addressed in literature are essential to the nursing practice in comprehensive child care.     

The nurse's role as an educator toward people who care for BVA patients

This article was written based on bibliographical research aiming at making a thematic analysis of the production of knowledge in newspapers and magazines about the nurse's role as an educator toward people who care for BVA (brain vascular accident) patients. The analysis gathered articles published in the 80's and 90's, from the Medline, Lilacs and Cinahl databases. Content analysis was the methodological background that allowed the organization of knowledge in two categories: educational intervention in the acute stage and the post-discharge support.     

Nursing care during the preoperative stage and rehabilitation of mastectomy: narrative review of literature

This is a bibliographic research carried out in Lilacs and Scielo database, which aimed to review the production about nursing care during the preoperative and rehabilitation stages of mastectomy. Eighteen articles were analyzed with focus in these categories: Nursing care in the preoperative mastectomy and The role of nursing in the rehabilitation of women submitted to a mastectomy. It was observed that nursing cares, in the two periods, are a key step for a more human treatment. However, they are scarce and with little enlightening guidance there must be a greater focus on the role by the nursing team in relation to women care.     

Living the burden in becoming a family caregiver for a cerebrovascular accident survivor: knowledge analysis

This bibliographical research aims to carry out a thematic analysis of knowledge production in periodicals, about the burden placed on family caregivers of Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) survivors. The analysis gathered articles found in the 80 and 90, through the Medline, Lilacs and Cinahl databases. The content analysis was the methodological background that enabled us to organize the whole knowledge into a body of categories and subcategories, called: Category 1 - The sequels of the CVA creating burden, Category 2 - Aspects generating burden, covering the following subcategories: social isolation, marital changes and dissatisfactions, family caregivers' financial difficulties and deficits in their physical health and self-care, Category 3 - Other analyses about burden in CVA survivor? family caregivers.     

Critical thinking: a focus in nursing education

In this study we identify and analyse articles published in national and international journals, that used the term "critical thinking" in the title or summary. The aim of the analysis was to seek answers to educators' queries as to how to improve teaching-learning the process in nursing. We analysed 52 articles published in the indexes Comprehensive Medline, Lilacs and Cinahl, in the last five years, from July, 1992 to July, 1997. Data analysis showed that critical thinking should be implemented in nursing education, what demands syllabus planning and teaching-learning strategies that will favour active participation by both educators and learners.     

Eating habits in the first year of life

The study aimed to examine the relevant published literature to food practices in the first year of life of teenage mothers' children, through an integrative review within Lilacs, Medline and Cochrane, databases from 2000 to 2010. We used the keywords: adolescent, breastfeeding, mixed feeding and infant nutrition, from which we selected eleven articles that composed the study sample. The results indicated the paucity of published research on the proposed topic, especially for those focusing on complementary feeding, revealing a gap in global production on the subject. New researches, therefore, need to be developed with a focus on teenage mothers, exploring infant feeding in all its dimensions.     

The rotavirus disease and the oral human rotavirus vaccination in the Brazilian scenario: an integrative literature review

Due to the epidemiological relevance of rotavirus disease on the worldwide panorama as an important cause of morbid-mortality in the infantile public and to the still incipient production of studies concerning the problematic in the nationwide scenario, not to mention the unique necessity of encouraging the promotion of care and education as inseparable factors in the health spaces, it was delimited as study object of the present article the rotavirus disease in the Brazilian scenario, emphasizing the vaccination as preventive measure against this ill. Thus it is aimed to analyze the publications about rotavirus disease in our country's contexture, stressing the vaccination against the Rotavirus (VORH) as the strategy mentioned. It is a bibliographic research performed on the BDENF, Lilacs, SciELO and Medline databases, in February 2010. During the study the following thematic pillars were discussed: rotavirus characteristics; the rotavirus disease as a public health issue; and the vaccination against rotavirus as primordial action of health care. The study evidenced the epidemiological importance of rotavirus disease in the worldwide scenario and the relevance of vaccination as preventive measure against such problematics.     

Identification and analysis of randomised controlled trials in nursing: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe preliminary work undertaken for development of a nursing contribution to the Cochrane Collaboration. To ascertain whether there are randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on nursing care which need to be identified for inclusion in systematic reviews of the effects of health care. DESIGN: Searches by Medline (1966-94) and by hand of 11 nursing research journals from inception to the end of 1994 to identify RCTs and systematic reviews; and a comparison of searches by hand and by Medline for three nursing research journals. MAIN MEASURES: Total number of RCTs identified and number of RCTs published in nursing journals; the sensitivity of Medline searches; and aspects of nursing care evaluated by RCT. RESULTS: The work is ongoing and 522 reports of RCTs and 20 systematic reviews of effectiveness have been identified so far. The sensitivity of Medline searches for RCTs in nursing journals is as low as 36% for one journal and the lack of reference to research design in the title or abstract was the main reason for the lack of sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: There are RCTs that evaluate aspects of nursing care, and are published in nursing and non-nursing journals, and are largely undertaken by nurses. These must be reviewed in ongoing systematic reviews of the effects of health care (including those undertaken as part of the Cochrane Collaboration). Nursing journals must be hand searched to identify these studies as the lack of reference to study design in the titles and abstracts of nursing trials leads to poor indexing in electronic databases such as Medline.     

Analysis of publications on Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) from 1980 to 2004

This study aimed at reviewing the knowledge produced about the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) available in the scientific literature from January 1980 to January 2004. NIC is a taxonomy with activities performed by nurses. Authors searched Lilacs and Medline databases, materials at the Center for Nursing Classification-University of Iowa College of Nursing and a doctoral dissertation obtained from a private library. The works found referred to the application of NIC to practice, the languages used in information systems, the use of NIC in these systems and the presentation, construction, development and validation of a taxonomy, among others. Authors concluded that there are several possibilities related to the production of knowledge on NIC in Brazil and that it is necessary to encourage studies on this taxonomy, raising questions and generating new knowledge to contribute to the improvement of Brazilian Nursing.     

The experience of the "oncologic patient": (re)conceptualizing the informative act

The adaptation of the patient to the conditions of chronic illness makes the information given to the patient one of the most powerful strategies, capable of contributing to a change in the social representation of the patient, from that of a mere clinical case to that of a holistic being. The objective of this study was to investigate the scientific work published in periodicals indexed by the Medline and Lilacs databases between 1990 and 2006 as to the informative act and the different forms in which information is provided to oncology patients. This analysis of the literature led to the conclusion that there has been an increase in the volume of publications, underlining the role of the oncology patient as a catalyst for new strategies for psychosocial adjustment and revealing her key role through her status as a 'professional patient'.     

Pharmaceutical services for inpatients provided by hospital pharmacies in Brazil: a review of the literature

This paper discusses the literature on hospital pharmacy services for in-patients in Brazil, seeking a broader view of its characteristics and priorities. Seventeen papers were located in the Medline and Lilacs databases that complied with the pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Most of them were related to teaching and research, logistics and compounding, based on observations in public hospitals in Southeast Brazil. Few studies focused on core activities such as management and selection. The academic syllabus through which pharmacy students are trained may underlie the perception that compounding is the preponderant aspect of hospital pharmacy services, although this is required in only a few institutions. Added to this is poor compliance by pharmacy activities with established norms and standards and the lack of an indexed Brazilian publication in this field. As there were far more studies of the public sector than its private counterpart, it seems as though there is either greater freedom of action in the former or less scientific output in the latter, quantified by published studies.     

Socioeconomic conditions and head and neck cancer: a systematic literature review

This study sought to describe the main characteristics of epidemiological studies that investigated the association between socioeconomic conditions and head and neck cancer. Research was carried out on the Medline (International Science Literature), Lilacs (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature) and Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases, as well as the references cited in the articles obtained through the primary search of the aforementioned databases. The publication period considered included 38 years (1970-2007) and the analysis was restricted to articles in Spanish, English or Portuguese. Twenty-five studies were selected, 15 that outlined case-control, four ecological and six that combined information from official databases, such as censuses and cancer or death records. Most cases reported an association between lower socioeconomic conditions and head and neck cancer. The most used indexes were occupation and education. Few studies investigated medication, aiming to point out which proximal factors operate in the investigated association. Additional studies, with uniform criteria to effect the adjustments in the regression models and sufficient samples, are required to inquire this dimension.     

Perinatal mortality and evitability: a review

This is a literature review onperinatal mortality focusing its evitability. A Medline and Lilacs (Latin-America and Caribbean) search was conducted for the 90s. There are few research studies on this subject in Brazil due to the great number of underreported fetal deaths and the low quality information provided in death certificates. Different proposals for perinatal death classification are presented. Most are based on grouping the underlying causes of deaths in a functional system in order to facilitate the analysis. In the Wigglesworth classification system, one of the most recommended methods, deaths are related to the different stages of care for pregnant women and children, evidencing the possibilities of their prevention. The evitability approach of perinatal deaths in Brazil is highly recommended, as mortality rates are still very high and most of the deaths are considered avoidable. Premature deaths could be avoided improving the quality of health care. Besides improving the medical assistance, the organization of health care regarding pre-natal, birth and neonatal care must also be better developed to ensure access to qualified assistance.     

Association between eating out of home and body weight

Eating outside of the home environment on a frequent basis has been associated with weight gain. Food choices when eating out are usually high in energy content, which contributes to excessive energy intake; however, the available data on out-of-home eating and obesity are far from conclusive. This systematic review assesses the association between out-of-home eating and body weight in adults over 18 years of age. The literature databases searched included Medline, Embase, Lilacs, The Cochrane Library, and the ISI Web of Knowledge. The review includes a comprehensive quality assessment of all included observational studies, 20 cross-sectional studies, and 8 prospective cohort studies. All but one of the prospective cohort studies and about half of the cross-sectional analyses found a positive association between out-of-home eating and body weight. However, many methodological differences among the studies were found, such as the definition of out-of-home eating and its assessment, which limits comparisons. The results of the present analysis suggest that in future studies fast-food restaurants and other out-of-home dining venues should be analyzed separately, assessments based on a single 24-h recall should be avoided, and controls for at-home choices (which were not included in any of the studies reviewed) are necessary to evaluate this association.     

Medicine administration: analysis of nursing scientific production

The review had as objective to analyse the nursing scientific production about the medicine administration, during the period from 1999 to 2004. For the search of the articles it was consulted articles of nursing index in Medline and LILACS databases during the period from April to June 2005. It was found 25 articles in 7 journals indexed in Qualis, national and international articles, categories A and B. We chose content analysis and system of categorization. We verified that scientific production is about several aspects, pointing the need of studies about ethics issues. We concluded that care must be expressed taking in consideration the diverse human aspects.     

Evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE: To describe the evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was carried out in electronic databases (Medline/PubMed, Lilacs, Ovid, Science Direct, BioMed Central and High Wire), non-indexed Brazilian journals, query by specific authors, and contact with other researchers. The inclusion criteria were: the sample should be representative of a defined population; sample size equal to or greater than 500 individuals; data collection in Brazil; measurement of physical activity; and report of data on this variable. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies were reviewed. The first study was published in 1990, and there has been a clear growth in the number of publications since 2000. Great regional disparities were seen and most studies were carried out in the Southeast and South regions. Almost all studies (93%) used questionnaires but operational definitions of sedentary lifestyle and questionnaires used varied markedly across studies preventing result comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Although the literature on physical activity in Brazil has quantitatively increased, methodological limitations make it difficult to compare study results. Therefore, standardization of instruments and definitions is essential for the improvement of scientific knowledge in the area.     

Evaluation of the Family Health Program: a review

This is a bibliographic review on the evaluation studies of the Family Health Program (FHP). Lilacs and SciELO databases were consulted up to April, 2007. Full texts of 88 published articles were analyzed. It was observed that most articles were published between the years 2005 and 2006 in periodicals intended for the Health Service, being the main subjects to the research professionals of FHP teams and FHP users. The studies were mainly carried out in the states of S?o Paulo, Bahia and Ceará. The most frequent objectives were the evaluation of the working process and the impact. The studies classification, regarding to the results of the FHP evaluation, as satisfactory or not satisfactory is discussed, and varied according to the methodological design applied and the respective structure components, process and result. The FHP evaluation is essential for the validation and conduction of the strategy.     

Perioperative prevention of skin injury: an integrative literature review

Nursing decision making in daily practice needs to be based on scientific knowledge. Evidence-based practice establishes the use of research results in clinical practice, with integrative literature review as one of its resources. This integrative review aimed to find and evaluate the available evidence on efficient nursing care interventions for the prevention of skin injuries in surgical patients, during or as a result of the perioperative period. To select the articles, we used two databases, Cinahl and Medline, resulting in a sample of 14 articles. The results of this analysis indicated that the devices considered most efficient in the prevention of skin injuries were, in decreasing order, the multi-cell pulsating dynamic mattress system, a dry visco-elastic polymer pad and gel cushions.