Perceptions of nurses about the implementation of the nursing process in an intensive unit

ABSTRACT Objective To understand the nurses’ perception about the implementation of the nursing process in an Intensive Care Unit. Method Qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study. Data collection took place from February to March/2018, in an Intensive Care Unit of a public hospital in western Santa Catarina, through semi-structured interviews with nine nurses. In the data analysis, it was used the Discourse of the Collective Subject. Results Difficulties and potentialities in the implementation of the nursing process were identified, standing out as a support strategy for the elaboration of study groups for the permanent education of professionals. About the difficulties, it was highlighted the lack of theoretical knowledge about the nursing process and basic disciplines that impact on the clinical evaluation of the patient stands out. Conclusion The implementation proved to be satisfactory under the nurses’ perception, generating an impact on the quality of care, patient safety, nursing records and professional visibility, despite the various barriers identified during its implementation.