Patient safety in intensive care units and educing avoidable harm: opinion article

Abstract

The intensive care unit (ICU) is an environment designed to treat patients with serious illnesses, providing complex support through a multidisciplinary team, using specialized equipment and technology for diagnosis and qualified treatment. Given theclinical condition, hemodynamic instability and the high number of invasive devices used in patients, the ICU is characterized as an environment in which frequent adverse events occur. To reflect on patient safety in intensive care units from a nursing perspective. This is an opinion study, theoretical and reflective, carried out in December 2023, originating from the author's academic experience. Adverse events in hospital institutions are among the leading causes of death in Brazil. This data indicates the need to improve understanding of the circumstances in which people suffer injuries while receiving health care and to develop national policies aimed at improving the quality of services provided. The ICU is an environment designed to treat patients with serious illnesses and the high number of invasive devices are used on patients, generating risks to patients. Nursing is the professional category that spends the most time with the patient during hospitalization, performing a series of procedures and care for the maintenance of health, with invasive devices and innovative technologies, a fact that makes it more prone to adverse events. Patient safety in ICUs is a crucial factor in health care, as they are often exposed to significant risks. Reducing preventable harm is a fundamental approach to improving patient safety in this environment.