NURSING ROLE IN CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH FLAIL CHEST: SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Flail chest (FC) has numerous consequences, most of which are considered to be serious and clearly life-threatening for the person affected. Its treatment is therefore of the utmost importance for a favourable outcome, and the nurse's role in caring for the person with this problem stands out. Objective: Mapping and analysing the available scientific evidence on the role of nurses in caring for people with FC. Methodology: Scoping Review (ScR), analysing articles included in search engines and databases PubMed Central (PMC), PubMed, EBSCO, B-ON, LILACS/BVS, JSTOR, Scielo and Cochrane, using MeSH and DeCS descriptors, with a final selection of 4 articles and preparation according to American Psychological Association (APA) standards. Results: Studies show that there are numerous interventions that can be carried out early and immediately to avoid increasing the risk to the life of the person with CR, including the administration of analgesic therapy, positioning or placement of clinical devices. Conclusions: The importance of the nurse's role in caring for people with FC was noted, whether through their presence in all care plans, the identification of potentially life-threatening situations or the interventions they can carry out.