De enfermeira a enfermeira especialista

: desenvolvimento de competências em situação de exceção

Abstract

This report arises in the scope of the Master´s Degree in Nursing with a specialization in Medical-Surgical Nursing, in the field of care of the Critically Ill Patient Nursing, at Institute of Health Sciences–Porto, of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the aim is to make a report of performed activities and developed skills during the 2nd year, in the setting of Health Care Associated Infection and Intensive Care internships between 02/11/2020 and 27/02/2021, making use of my previous first year Emergency Department experience. In the first part of this document I approached the common skills of the specialized nurse according to Ordem dos Enfermeiros, with all the COVID-19 related challenges in the background. About ethical accountability, I talked about possible changes in the focus of care and potencial dilemmas. In the subject of quality of care, I focused on the role of management and leadership. I also delve into aspects like resiliency, self-care and team capacitation towards the pandemics. In the second part of this work I approached the specific skills having the first year Emergency Department internship as a starting point, developing skills on management and emergency situations, as well as with literature review about oxygen therapy and air humidifier utilization. Next, I mentioned the development of skills in the setting of the Local Coordination Council-an optional field -, in several interventions like literature review on reusable vs disposable surgical gowns, which pointed to a strong recommendation towards the former, and in an improvement opportunity with a poster about transesophageal endoscopes decontamination. Concerning Intensive Care, it was important to center my attention in the aspects related with communication skills, sedation management, delirium, pain and infection control. After the path done one can conclude that the specialized Nurse has to have the ability to caring of individuals in critical health status and organ failure in a global and holistic fashion, knowing how to handle with complex therapeutic protocols and differentiated techniques, always with humanization awareness. This course allowed me to recognize and develop communication, leadership, management, teaching, clinical literature searching and critical thinking skills.

Date of Award	9 Jul 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Irene Oliveira (Supervisor)