Nursing Administration: Aspects that Can Facilitate and Hinder Care in a Coronary Unit

Nursing care in a coronary unit requires a team of specialized health-care professionals, high-tech equipment and leadership that is alert to the daily possibilities and difficulties of nursing care. Objective: To discuss the aspects that can facilitate and hinder nursing administration in a coronary care unit. Methods: This is a bibliographic study based on SciELO and data collection, using semi-structured interviews with six head nurses from the Coronary Care Unit at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro University Hospital. Results: As to the aspects that facilitate nursing administration, the selected studies and the nurses interviewed point to objective and subjective factors, respectively, such as the use of instruments, distribution of the team and good communication and interpersonal relations. Concerning the aspects that hinder nursing administration, they were in agreement with respect to the mechanization of nursing, the complexity of a critical care unit and the shortage of material resources. Conclusions: It is, therefore, the duty of nursing administration to identify these factors in order to help nursing professionals perform better. This will result in safer and more effective care for patients and their families.