To be at Unit of Intensive Therapy: patient perception <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

Objective: The characteristics of a unit of intensive care, the complex and closed environment, the technological resources, the permanence of critical patients and with risk of life, beyond rigid and generally inflexible routines instigated us to know the perceptions of the patients in relation to its experience when interned in a UTI.
Methodology: descriptive qualitative boarding. To collect the data we use ourselves the focused interview. Eight patients had been interviewed who had remained interned in a UTI, being the interviews carried through after the high one of the UTI. For analysis of the data the content analysis, according to steps considered for Minayo was used.
Resulted/conclusion: In accordance with what it was displayed by the interviewed ones, we identify two categories: UTI: an surrounding stranger and of mystery, in which it identifies the UTI as an unknown place and little receptive, as synonymous of death and serious illness, recovery and meeting with the life, and as local of suffering; e the nursing assistance: “I was taken care of well”, however... in which if identifies the form as the participants of the study had perceived the cares of nursing excused they.
KEY WORDS: NURSING CARE; INTENSIVE CARE UNITS; INPATIENTS/psychology.