[Measurement of the care directed by nurses: comparison between three psychophysical methods]. / Mensuração da atenção dirigida do enfermeiro: comparaçã entre três métodos psicofísicos.

The degree of directed care required from nurses who work at the critical care unit environment was assessed and compared through three different psychophysical methods: magnitude estimation, category rating and ordinal scales. The sample was formed by 29 participants whose ages varied from 25 to 44 years. Based on the results, authors concluded that: a) data indicated a high concordance among participants regarding different situations with a Kendall's coefficient of 0.83 (p < 0.0016); b) the results obtained with magnitude estimation scaling proved superiority of this method when compared to others. c) the continuum of directed attention (non metric) has characteristics of a protetic continuum.

[The patients' perception during their stay in the intensive care unit]. / A percepção do paciente sobre sua permanência na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva.

The purpose of this study is to identify the patients's perception during their stay in the ICU. The sample was composed by ten patients, who had gone to cardiac surgery. They received psychological assistance only after their discharge from the ICU. The data was obtained throw a qualitative approach, using a content analysis. The results suggest that the patients have a stereotyped view about the ICU, linked with the idea of suffering and death; the nurses play an important role during fragility movements, physical and emotional dependence; the pain, by its subjective nature, individually and emotionally, is inevitable, because it is related to procedure and usually it is associated to physical suffering.