Characterization of hospitalized elderly people according to the Neuman Systems Model: contributions for nursing

Objective: to characterize hospitalized elderly people according to the dimensions proposed by the Neuman Systems Model. Method: an extract from a qualitative study, based on the Convergent Care Research proposal, developed in a teaching hospital with 30 elderly people. Data production took place from November, 2016 to August, 2017 through a conversation interview, guided by a research protocol, and analyzed in the light of the Neuman Systems Model. Results: hospitalized elderly people were characterized according to the physiological (gender, age, diagnosis, comorbidities), psychological (changes in mood, feelings and behaviors), sociocultural (marital status, family structure, monitoring during hospitalization, work activity), development (years of study, cognitive function) and spiritual (religion, participation in the church, religious support and interference from hospitalization). Conclusion: identifying the interactive dimensions proposed by the Neuman Systems Model enables understanding the elderly person as an open client system and provides nurses with justifications for clinical judgment and decision making.