Nursing in pre-hospital care: role, difficulties and challenges

Abstract

The role of the nurse in pre-hospital care is to have the knowledge, experience and competent skills to meet the needs of patients in the pre-hospital period and ensure patient safety. However, the stress of routine and work can result in occupational stress and interfere with personal and professional behavior, results, effectiveness and quality of life. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the role of nurses in pre-hospital care, as well as the difficulties and challenges faced in this area. This is an integrative literature review, and the following databases were used to carry out the research: PUBMED and the Virtual Health Library. The screening process included the following inclusion criteria: articles that answered the guiding question, in English or Portuguese and between 2018 and 2023. After the searches, a total of 11 articles were obtained. The role of the nursing professional in pre-hospital care involves an active participation in the care of polytraumatized patients, acting in the supervision, coordination and evaluation of nursing actions, as well as seeking to avoid or minimize sequelae. The challenges faced by these professionals correspond to their working hours, and they are subjected to a level of stress that causes physical and psychological damage. It is therefore recommended that this theme be continued in future studies in order to improve the approach and understanding of the activities that can be carried out by nursing professionals, thereby improving the pre-hospital care system.