A procura pela excelência do cuidar de generalista a especialista

Abstract

The present report was developed within the Final Internship of the 13th Master's Degree Course in Medical and Surgical Nursing, which was focused on Critical Care and took place in Oporto’s Institute of Health Sciences of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. It intends to show the development and acquisition of new skills that provide the consolidation of knowledge and know-how of a Specialist Nurse. The report was organized into four chapters: the chapter on the development of competences, was structured according to the four competence domains, based on the descriptive, analytical and critical-reflective methodology. The first one, corresponding to the introduction, represents the framework and objectives of the attended internships as well as of this report. In the second chapter, are describe the characteristics of the different internships was made, since only knowing the placement in which we are practising it is possible to provide quality nursing care. The third chapter concerned both skills development and the objectives set for the different internships. Being the fourth and final chapter, the conclusion includes a retrospective of the entire learning process. Regarding the professional, ethical and legal responsibility domain, the emphasis was placed on the professional practice, which must always be ruled by the code of professional ethics, as well as by the ethical principles of autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. The domain of continuous quality improvement was based on one of the specific skills of a Specialist Nurse in Critical Care; in this area, it is necessary to act effectively and efficiently to achieve quality and safety of both nursing care and therapeutic environment. It was possible to work on questions that allow us to reflect on the proactive role that the Specialist Nurse must have, incorporating in their practice new knowledge based on scientific evidence, aiming the improvement of care. As to the care management domain, the main interest was to understand the management behind a care unit, as well as the importance that the Specialist Nurse has in this particular area. Concerning the domain of development of professional learning, problem situations inevitably arose during the specific internship here mentioned. These guided the performance during the internship, as they incited the research of new knowledge and the systematization of the previously acquired, being both fundamental contributes to decision making. Caring is a dynamic process that implies attention, dedication and learning, as well as a symbiosis between the one who cares and the one who is cared for. It is from this need for Naring that nursing emerges. Only a Specialist Nurse in Critical Care, with their adjacent skills, will be able to give an adequate response to the person and the person’s family experiencing complex medical and/or surgical processes. The Specialist Nurse plays a decisive role in providing specialized care to critically ill patient.

Date of Award	19 May 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ana Sousa (Supervisor)