Management of bed availability in intensive care in the context of hospitalization by court order

• Published in: Revista latino-americana de enfermagem Vol. 28; p. e3271
• Main Authors: Vargas, Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira, Peter, Elizabeth, Luz, Kely Regina da, Barlem, Edison Luiz Devos, Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena, Nascimento, Eliane Regina Pereira do
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Universidade de São Paulo-USP, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto - USP 01-01-2020; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo; Universidade de São Paulo
• Subjects: Ethics; Health Service Management; Health’s Judicialization; Hospitalization; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Medical ethics; NURSING; Nursing Care; Original; Public Policy; Intensive Care Units; Public Policy; Política Pública; Unidades de Terapia Intensiva; Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos; Gestión de los Servicios de Salud; Nursing Care; Judicialização da Saúde; Ethics; Gestão dos Serviços de Saúde; Atención de Enfermería; Health’s Judicialization; Health Service Management; Cuidados de Enfermagem; Ética; Judicialización de la Salud
• ISSN: 1518-8345; 0104-1169; 1518-8345
• DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.3420.3271

to identify, from the nurse perspective, situations that interfere with the availability of beds in the intensive care unit in the context of hospitalization by court order.
qualitative exploratory, analytical research carried out with 42 nurses working in adult intensive care. The selection took place by non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Data collected by interview and analyzed using the Discursive Textual Analysis technique.
three categories were analyzed, entitled deficiency of physical structure and human resources; Lack of clear policies and criteria for patient admission and inadequate discharge from the intensive care unit. In situations of hospitalization by court order, there is a change in the criteria for the allocation of intensive care beds, due to the credibility of professionals, threats of medico-legal processes by family members and judicial imposition on institutions and health professionals.
nurses defend the needs of the patients, too, with actions that can positively impact the availability of intensive care beds and adequate care infrastructure.