COVID-19 affects the respiratory system, reducing the oxygen saturation level, leading to hypoxemia and increasing the metabolic oxygenation need.
Objective: To describe the nursing interventions related to the need for oxygenation in hospitalized adults with severe COVID-19 disease in the Intensive Care Unit.
Method: This was an observational, retrospective and descriptive study in a population of 2205 patients with a convenience sample of n = 430 and based on the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). The analysis was performed with a non-parametric test to determine the association between the nursing interventions and the need for oxygenation.
Results: The findings are aimed at improving nursing interventions with statistical associations as follow: oxygen therapy (p < 0.000), airway suctioning (p < 0.000), airway management (p = 0.029), invasive mechanical ventilation (p < 0.000) and non-invasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.022). NOC taxonomy expected outcomes in ventilation, 34% (146), alteration in gas exchange, 33.7% (145), and respiratory status, 558.9% (253), were severely compromised.
Conclusions: The nursing interventions to maintain the respiratory status are focused on airway care and oxygen therapy in order to increase the oxygen saturation level and decrease the severity of the need for oxygenation.
Keywords: COVID-19; need for oxygenation; nursing care; nursing diagnosis; nursing interventions classification; nursing outcomes classification.