Implications of the patient corporal exposition in the intensive care unit during family visitation

Abstract

This investigation searched to analyze, together with 15 nurses, situations when a patient exposes his body in the ICU. It is a descriptive study, with a quanti-qualitative approach, in which the Critical Incident Technique was applied. Thirty reports were obtained - 15 positive and 15 negative -, being extracted 52 (100%) positive 22 (42,3%) critical incidents, (PCIs) and 30 (57,7%) negative (NCIs), compiled in six situation categories. It was chosen to discuss the category visiting time (5,8%). The behavior of the health team and patients, and the consequences for both also constituted categories in the PCIs and NCIs. The sex difference between caretakers and patients compromises the maintenance of privacy. Implicitly, is noticed the inability of the team to handle conflicts derived from defenselessness of privacy during family visitation. The results how the need to discuss and to reflect about the nakedness in the context of the health attendance, because the corporal exposition interferes in the relation team-customer-family.