<b>Defensive strategies used by intensive care unit nurses: reflexion based on the dejourian view</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i5.5071

Abstract

This is an exploratory-descriptive-qualitative study, with the purpose of identifying the defensive strategies used by the nurse to face suffering in the work environment. The period of data gathering was between December 2006 and February 2007. The sample consisted of eight nurses of all shifts who worked in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) I and II of the Regional University Hospital of Northern Paraná, who answered to a semi-structured interview. As for the analysis of the collected material, the content analysis method in the thematic and a theoretical basis concerning the Psychodynamics of the work in the Dejourian view were used. Out of the thematic analysis, the following category emerged: defensive strategy adopted by the ICU nurse, which was revealed based on the subcategories: searching for support in the religious practice; promoting the interrelationship among the members of the health team; performing physical activities; moving away from the patient and his/her family members, and making use of tobacco. Results showed that the nurses use individual defensive strategies more often than collective ones.