Subjectivity of the "adverse effects" phenomenon around nursing care

Abstract

Introduction: Positions identifying the causes of an adverse event (AE) have been seen only from a quantitative perspective, aiming to determine incidence, avoid ability and risk factors, which is complicated due the phenomenon subjetivity.

Objective: To determine nurses comprehension about the adverse effects of drugs administration.

Methodology: Design with an approximation to the phenomenological focus. The main inquiry instrument was the researcher himself, who relied on semi-structured interview and narrative records which were stored in audiotape for their latter transcription and analysis supported by Atlas ti Software.

Results: Six semi-structured interviews in 197 minutes audiotapes were performed. Thirty six codes , 120 cites were identified and 23 memos were done. Some of the codes are: concealing the event, irresponsibility, conse­quences, work excess, worries, attitude.

Conclusions: A hypothesis "in situ" is generated. If adverse effects are derived from laboral, personal, or knowledge conditions then the error in drugs administration is due to a surplus of patients by nurse, to inexperience in caring, ignorance about certain specialty, to worries that generate stress and condition concentration when preparing and administrating drugs; besides, error are not reported due the consequences of responsibility, rules and professional principles aspects nonfulfillment that nobody wants to make evident.