[Representational structure of intensive care for professionals working in mobile intensive care units]. / A estrutura representacional do cuidado intensivo para profissionais de Unidade de Terapia Intensiva móvel.

This qualitative study was performed based on the Social Representations Theory, using a structured approach. The objective was to analyze the social representations of intensive care for professionals who work in mobile intensive care units, given the determination of the central nucleus and the peripheral system. This study included the participation of 73 health care professionals from an Emergency Mobile Care Service. Data collection was performed through free association with the inducing term care for people in a life threatening situation, and analyzed using EVOC software. It is observed that a nucleus is structured in knowledge and responsibility, while contrasting elements present lexicons such as agility, care, stress, and humanization. The representational structure revealed by participants in this study refer particularly to the functionality of intensive care, distinguishing itself by the challenges and encouragements provided to anyone working in this area.

Reflexões sobre a filosofia do límite e suas implicações para o cuidar em enfermagem / Reflexiones sobre la filosofía del límite y sus implicaciones en el cuidado en enfermería / Reflections on the philosophy of limit and its implications for nursing care

Trata-se de um estudo reflexivo que tem por objetivo apresentar a proposta filosófica do espanhol Eugênio Trías, a teoria do limite, e aproximar suas idéias à disciplina da enfermagem. O estudo aborda a ontologia do limite, o limite do ser e o uso da teoria do limite para a enfermagem. Acredita-se que os limites em saúde decorrem dos direitos e valores humanos e estão presentes em nosso dia-a-dia profissional. Refletir no limite da vida, respaldado pela ética, pauta, portanto, o exercício adequado da técnica para o bem-estar e o respeito dos seres humanos que cuidamos.

Se trata de un estudio reflexivo que tiene como objetivo presentar la propuesta filosófica del español Eugenio Trías (la teoría del límite) y llevar sus ideas a la disciplina de enfermería. El estudio aborda la ontología del límite, el límite del ser y la utilización de la teoríadel límite en enfermería. En materia de salud, se cree que los límites se derivan de los derechos humanos y los valores, y están presentes en nuestro día a día. Reflexionar sobre los límites de la vida, con el apoyo de la ética, regula el empleo de la tecnología apropiada parabrindar bienestar y respeto a los seres humanos que cuidamos.

This is a reflective study intended to present the philosophical proposal of the Spanish philosopher Eugênio Trias: the theory of limit, and to apply his ideas to the field of nursing. It addresses the ontology of limit, the limit of being, and uses of the theory of the limit for nursing. It is believed that limits to health stem from human rights and values, and are present in our day-to-day activity. As a reflectionof life’s limits and supported by ethics, the study tries to relate the application of appropriate technology for well-being to respect for the human beings who are being cared for.

Understanding the dimensions of intensive care: transpersonal caring and complexity theories.

This is a descriptive, interpretive and qualitative study carried out at the ICU of a Brazilian teaching hospital. It aimed to understand the dimensions of human caring experienced by health care professionals, clients and their family members at an ICU, based on human caring complexity. The Transpersonal Caring and Complexity theories support theory and data analysis. The following dimensions of care emerged from the themes analyzed according to Ricoeur: self-care, care as an individual value, professional vs. informal care, care as supportive relationship, affective care, humanized care, care as act/attitude, care practice; educative care, dialogical relationship, care coupled to technology, loving care, interactive care, non-care, care ambience, the essence of life and profession, and meaning/purpose of care. We believe in care that encompasses several dimensions presented here, based on the relationship with the other, on the empathetic, sensitive, affectionate, creative, dynamic and understanding being in the totality of the human being.

[Systematization of nursing care: viewing care as interactive, complementary and multi-professional]. / Sistematização da assistência de enfermagem: vislumbrando um cuidado interativo, complementar e multiprofissional.

This study is the result of an extended project, named: The systematization of nursing care in the perspective of complex thinking. The objective of this qualitative study is to better comprehend the meaning of the systematization of nursing care among healthcare professionals. The Data-Based Theory was used as a methodological reference. Data were collected by interviewing three sample groups, in a total of fifteen healthcare professionals. Data codification and analysis led us to the central theme: Viewing the Systematization of Nursing Care (SNC) as an Interactive and Complex Phenomenon. This theme is complemented by two phenomena. In this article, we discuss the phenomenon: Verifying the necessity of on interactive, complementary, and multi-professional process. The Systematization of Nursing Care is part of a process that has been developing over time by nurses committed to improve the care given to the patient, since they view the necessity for interactive, complementary, and multi-professional care.

[Intuitive knowledge in nursing care]. / O conhecimento intuitivo no cuidado de enfermagem.

This is a qualitative study in a descriptive exploratory approach with the purpose to characterize the intuitive knowledge in nursing care. The qualitative data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 87 nursing professionals. The analysis of the data was done using QSR Vivo and interpreted through a framework based on studies of the North-American nursing literature. Intuition emerged as a feeling, as a type of knowledge, and as both. Further analysis showed three defining attributes: 1) knowledge of a fact or the truth, as a whole; 2) immediate possession of knowledge; 3) knowledge independent from linear reasoning process, as well as three types of intuition: cognitive inference, gestalt intuition, and precognitive function. The result of this study shows a parallel with the others found in North-American nursing literature.

[Analysis of Watson's curative factors at an emergency unit]. / Análise dos fatores de cuidado de Watson em uma unidade de emergência.

The objective of this study was to analyze the development of Jean Watson's ten carative factors in the process of caring with clients and their families in an emergency unit of a general hospital in Florianópolis. It was based on the convergent-assistance research design, and developed with 91 clients, from September 3 to November 30, 2001. The development of Watson's ten carative factors in the process of caring was effective in the emergency unity contributing to an approach more humanized and with greater quality when compared to another which emphasizes only the biological dimension.