Research Article

Operational definitions of technologies in health and continuous central intravenous therapies to nursing in intensive care

^*1Ana Paula Amorim Moreira, ²Cristina Lavoyer Escudeiro, ³Barbara Pompeu Christovam, ⁴Zenith Rosa Silvino and ⁵Isaura Setenta Porto

¹Master, Nurse of B. Braun Laboratories and the University Hospital Antonio Pedro/UFF. Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil (BR). Corresponding  Author. Address: Rua Vereador Duque Estrada no. 109/408 - Santa Rosa - Niteroi - RJ. TEL: + 55 21 999495508 e-mail: moreira.ana78@gmail.com

²PhD, Coordinator of the Graduate Nursing Program and the Professional Master's Degree in Nursing Care of Aurora of Afonso Costa/UFF Nursing School. Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil (BR). E-mail: cristinalescudeiro@gmail.com

³PhD, Teacher of the Department of Foundations of Nursing and Administration and of the Programs of Professional Master's in Nursing Care and the Masters in Academic Health Sciences of Aurora of Afonso Costa/UFF Nursing School. Researcher from FAPERJ. Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil (BR). E-mail: babypompeu@gmail.com

⁴PhD, Teacher of the Department of Foundations of Nursing and Administration and of the Programs of Professional Master's in Nursing Care and the Masters in Academic Health Sciences of Aurora of Afonso Cost/UFF Nursing School. Researcher from FAPERJ and CNPQ. Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil (BR). E-mail: zenithrosa@terra.com.br

⁵Teacher and Researcher at the Center for Research in Hospital Nursing and Professor of the Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing and the Graduate Program in the Anna Nery/UFRJ Nursing School. CNPQ Researcher. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. E-mail: isaura70porto@gmail.com

*Corresponding Author E-mail: moreira.ana78@gmail.com ; + 55 21 999495508

Accepted 27 January 2015

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the operational definitions of health technology and continuous central intravenous therapy in the vision of nursing professionals in an Intensive Care Unit. Study of qualitative approach, the descriptive type. We used the Alceste software for operationalising the treatment of data. Thirty two (32) interviews were carried out with active nursing professionals in the Intensive Care Unit. The definition of health technology brought by professionals contemplated relational aspects, however, the hard technologies overlap due to the need of a range of materials that when connected, form the infusion system. Already the continuous central intravenous therapy was presented in segmented form, or with a focus on track of insertion or in how it is conducted and/or its consequences. It was concluded that the majority of nursing professionals of the studied scenario define the technologies in health as hard technologies and define the continuous central intravenous therapies in segmented form.

Keywords: biomedical technology, Intensive Care Units, intravenous infusions, nursing.