Preservação dos vestígios forenses no serviço de urgência e emergência de um hospital público de Manaus: conhecimento e execução entre enfermeiros

Abstract

To analyze the knowledge and practice of nurses working in the Urgency and Emergency department of a public hospital regarding the preservation of forensic evidence. Methodology: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study of a descriptive nature. The research was conducted at the Urgency and Emergency department of the 28 de Agosto Hospital and Emergency Room, and the participants were nurses working in the department. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire by Musse et al. on evidence preservation. For data tabulation and organization, Excel 2016 software was used, and for statistical analysis, the Jamovi Program was employed. Results: It was observed that participants frequently encountered individuals who were victims of violence, and although they agreed on the importance of the preservation process, nurses exhibited satisfactory knowledge and execution regarding documentation procedures. However, concerning preservation actions, despite the majority of nurses being aware of 50-70% of the procedures, less than 50% of them actually executed them. Regarding collection actions, both knowledge and, particularly, execution rates were below expectations. Conclusion: There is a need to disseminate knowledge among healthcare professionals regarding the preservation of forensic evidence. Despite understanding its significance, professionals have more knowledge and execution in documenting evidence compared to preservation and collection procedures. Additionally, there is a lack of academic training on the subject and an absence of institutional protocols to guide professionals in their practices