PROFILE OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE NURSES IN BRAZIL.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology Nursing
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Care
• Healthcare Professional Profiling

Background:

• Nurses are integral to the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) multidisciplinary team.
• Understanding the profile and work processes of IBD nurses is crucial for optimizing patient care.
• Current IBD nursing practices in Brazil lack a specific consensus for organization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the professional profile of nurses caring for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in Brazil.
• To characterize the work processes and organizational structures of IBD nursing care.
• To describe the healthcare settings where IBD nurses practice.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based research study was conducted.
• Inclusion criteria targeted nurses with IBD care experience, research, advanced degrees, or educator roles.
• Seventy-four nurses meeting the criteria were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

• The majority of IBD nurses (89.19%) were women, with a mean age of 40.63 years.
• Only 5.41% of nurses worked exclusively with IBD patients; main activities were outpatient clinics (39%) and ostomy care (35%).
• Nurses demonstrated knowledge of immunosuppressive medications and biological therapies, with care focusing on treatment adherence and ostomy management.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights that IBD nurses in Brazil often have diverse roles, not exclusively focused on IBD.
• Describing their work process can aid in organizing IBD assistance, which currently lacks a specific consensus.
• Essential characteristics for specialized IBD care are not uniformly present across all healthcare services.