NURSING CONSULTATION IN RADIOTHERAPY: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT

Introduction: One of the activities of nurses in radiotherapy is the educational actions aimed at patients and their families. All care and prevention of diseases are mapped and discussed during the nursing consultation, which will be repeated during treatment course according to established protocols, as well as identified individualized needs. The nursing consultation is foreseen by the Brazilian Federal Nursing Council Law No. 7,498 of 1986 which defines nursing consultation as a private activity of the Nurse as well as Resolution No. 211 of 1998 establishes the nursing team‘s role in the areas of ionizing radiation reinforcing the role of the nurse. The first consultation consists of anamnesis, physical examination, preparation of individualized care plan and establishment of therapeutic goals that will be reevaluated in the following treatment days. Objective: To identify the scope of patients evaluated within one year and the opportunities for improvement in order to include all the patients who begin treatment. Method: Retrospective cohort study with analysis of data obtained from the institution‘s management systems database, from January to December 2018. Results: The following parameters were analyzed for this study: number of new patients for radiotherapy and number at nursing consultations within the 5th radiotherapy fraction; These data were compared, and it was found that the total number of new patients was 1163 and 1118 nursing consultations in the first week of treatment, corresponding to 96.1% of visits, ie, 45 patients were not attended by the nursing team within the established period. The process has been revised with the inclusion of detailed analysis of unreached patients, anticipation of appointments for the simulation day and reorganization of the nursing team‘s priorities, with the intention that 100% consultations will be performed on new patients. Conclusion: The study allowed us to identify the assertiveness percentile to accomplish with the pre-established routine and demonstrated the potential for generating parallel discussions that contributed to the review of care processes. Was also reaffirmed the role of reception and education of the patient by nurses, as a high point for prevention of injuries during treatment and potential for fulfillment with the established therapeutic plan.