Standard operating procedure in the hospital context: the nurses' perception

Abstract

Objective: to learn the perception that nurses have about the development of Standard Operating Procedure in the hospital context. Methods: exploratory, descriptive and qualitative research developed between the months of March and April 2011 with five nurses working in the inpatient units of a medium-sized hospital, located in a city in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview and were subjected to content analysis. Results: two categories emerged: Standard Operating Procedure in the daily practice of the Nurse: a reality to be built; From the visibility of the Standard Operating Procedure to the organization of nursing care. Conclusion: the importance of qualified staff to implement the Standard Operating Procedure is evident, and this must happen through protocols within the units, decreasing thus the existing problems regarding patient care and prioritizing the quality of care.