RESUMO
AIM: To investigate the nurses' work environment in university hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenging times for nurses worldwide. In Brazil, as well as in several countries, nurses are working hard in hospital settings caring for patients infected with the virus, sometimes with unfavourable work environment conditions. METHODS: This study was a convergent embedded mixed methods research. The sample comprised 104 nurses from three Brazilian university hospitals. Data were collected in April-June 2020 from an online questionnaire with a self-reporting Likert scale survey designed to measure the nurses' perceptions of their work environment. Qualitative data in the form of written comments were also collected through an open question. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. RESULTS: The quantitative results showed that the responses to 'I received training on the correct use of personal protective equipment' and 'I am afraid of being infected' items had the best and worst evaluations, respectively. The qualitative findings revealed five themes: feeling of insecurity, lack of personal protective equipment, lack of diagnostic tests, changes in the care flow and fear of the unknown. CONCLUSION: The study has highlighted the challenges faced by hospital nurses while caring for patients with COVID-19. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY: The gaps identified will assist the policymakers and hospital managers in developing policies to enhance the support offered to nurses and improve the care provided to patients with COVID-19 in university hospitals. The results also indicate the need for attention to the mental health of the professionals due to the increasing workload and treatment of an illness hitherto unknown.
Assuntos
COVID-19/enfermagem , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar/psicologia , Pneumonia Viral/enfermagem , Local de Trabalho/psicologia , Adulto , Brasil/epidemiologia , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Hospitais Universitários , Humanos , Masculino , Pandemias , Pneumonia Viral/epidemiologia , Pneumonia Viral/virologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Enquadramento: A elevada carga de trabalho pode estar associada à complexidade clínica dos doentes e à longa permanência na unidade, constituindo um tratamento de enfermagem frequentemente baseado em cuidados semi-intensivos. Objetivo: Avaliar a carga de trabalho de uma equipa de enfermagem de uma unidade de internamento através do Nursing Activities Score (NAS). Metodologia: Estudo exploratório, transversal, quantitativo, realizado com doentes internados numa unidade de internamento hospitalar. A forma de caracterização composta por dados sociodemográficos, clínicos e o NAS foi usada para recolher dados de registos documentados de cuidados de enfermagem. Resultados: O NAS médio foi de 43,2, variando de 59,0 e 54,1 ao primeiro dia e no último dia de internamento, respetivamente, e este é o tempo médio que um doente necessita de um enfermeiro. Além disso, os pacientes que acabaram por morrer e aqueles que mostraram cultura positiva para germes multirresistentes tiveram médias de NAS mais altas no último dia. Conclusão: A carga de trabalho da equipa de enfermagem é elevada, evidenciada pela elevada procura de cuidados.
Background: High workload can be associated with patient acuity and long hospital stay, often calling for semi-intensive nursing care. Objective: To assess the workload of a nursing team of a hospital inpatient unit using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS). Methodology: An exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with patients admitted to a hospital inpatient unit. The sample was characterized using sociodemographic and clinical data, and the NAS was used to collect data from documented nursing records. Results: The mean NAS score was 43.2, ranging from 59.0 to 54.1 for the first day and the last day of hospitalization, respectively, which is the average nursing care time. Patients who died and those who showed a positive culture for multidrug-resistant bacteria had higher mean NAS scores on the last day. Conclusion: The nursing workload is high, evidenced by the high demand for care.
Marco contextual: La elevada carga de trabajo puede estar asociada a la complejidad clínica de los pacientes y a la larga estancia en la unidad, lo que supone un tratamiento de enfermería a menudo basado en cuidados semiintensivos. Objetivo: Evaluar la carga de trabajo de un equipo de enfermería en una unidad de internamiento hospitalario a través del Nursing Activities Score (NAS). Metodología: Estudio exploratorio, transversal y cuantitativo, realizado con pacientes ingresados en una unidad de internamiento hospitalario. La forma de caracterización compuesta por datos sociodemográficos, clínicos y el NAS se utilizó para recoger datos de registros documentados de cuidados de enfermería. Resultados: El promedio del NAS fue de 43,2, variando entre 59,0 y 54,1 el primer día y el último día de hospitalización respectivamente, y este es el tiempo promedio en que un paciente necesita a un enfermero. Además, los pacientes que terminaron muriendo y aquellos que mostraron un cultivo positivo de gérmenes multirresistentes tuvieron en el NAS medias más altas el último día.
