Assessment of a neonatal unit nursing staff: application of the Nursing Activities Score.

OBJECTIVE The study proposes to analyze the nursing staff workload of the sectors of a neonatal unit by means of the Nursing Activities Score - NAS and to calculate the quantitative ideal for the team, comparing it with the current workload. METHOD The NAS tool was applied for all newborns interned for at least 24 hours; the sum of the NAS points provided the unit workload which was used for calculating the team assessment by means of mathematical equation. RESULTS The sector of Low Risk presented a workload of 267 NAS points and an imbalance of 8.8 professionals daily; the Medium Risk sector a workload of 446.7 and an imbalance of 22.3; the High Risk sector a workload of 359 and a deficit of 17.9; the Isolation sector a demand of 609 and an imbalance of 18.2; and NICU a workload of 568.6 with a deficit of 16.1 professionals. CONCLUSION The study disclosed an important imbalance of professionals in relation to the exalted work demand they are subjected to daily. The application of the Nursing Activities Score in neonatal units contributes to the evaluation of the workload and assessment of the nursing team.