NURSING CONSULTATION FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the scientific production on nursing consultation focused on children and the elderly, published in online journals in the period from 2007 to 2012. Material and Methods: This was an integrative literature review based on searches in the Virtual Library in Health (VLH) through the databases of the Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LACLHS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). The descriptors “consultation” and “nursing” were used. The sample consisted of 20 publications. Results: The results indicated a reduced number of publications concerning the topic ‘nursing consultation directed to children and the elderly’. The years of 2007, 2008 and 2012 corresponded to the period with the highest number of published articles. The journal that included the largest number of articles was the Journal of Nursing from USP (University of São Paulo). As for the study modality, there was a predominance of original articles with 13 publications. Two thematic categories emerged from the selected topic: "nursing consultation of children: looking for a healthy lifestyle; and "nursing care towards the elderly and improvement of their quality of life." Conclusion: Nursing consultation is a very important tool for nursing care practice towards children and the elderly. However, among the weaknesses of this type of consultation is the lack of knowledge and commitment on the part of the nurses. DESCRIPTORS Nursing Care. Child. Aged.