Management instruments for evaluation of the nursing workload in intensive therapy units

Objective: to point the main differences between Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) and Nursing Activities Score (NAS), suggesting which one better applies to the measurement of the nursing workload. Methodology: this is about a literature narrative review being used eleven scientific articles and two master ́s degree dissertations found at Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) were used, as well as two resolutions from Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (COFEN). Limits were defined years of publication from 2003 to 2008 and languages Portuguese, English and Spanish. Results: distinct aspects between TISS-28 and NAS were identified, and based on these differences, it became clear that NAS encompasses a wider range of nursing activities, making it possible its utilization to measure the real workload of this category in the intensive care. Conclusion: The utilization of instruments to dimension the nursing team is of great importance, because it guides the division and organization of the work in the units. Descriptors: workload; nursing human resources; intensive therapy unit; classification.