Characterization of patients in psychiatric hospitalization units according to the degree of dependence on nursing care

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the degree of dependence in relation to nursing care of patients hospitalized in a Psychiatric Unit of a teaching hospital, using the Instrument to Classify the Level of Dependence in Psychiatric Nursing. In total, 11.07 patients/day were classified in the Psychiatric Ward (EPQU) and 7.76 patients/day in the brief intervention Psychiatric Ward (EPIB). The average rate of bed occupancy in these units was 79.1% and 86.3%, respectively. Most patients were female (55.8%) and aged between 20 and 30 years (34.8%). The modest degree of nursing care prevailed both at EPQU (62.7%) and at EPIB (61.8%). The research permitted knowing this clientele's demands of nursing care and provided elements that showed the need of new studies regarding the composition of the nursing staff at this unit.