Stress and fatigue in nurses in critical care units and their association with salivary cortisol

Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate the association between stress, fatigue and salivary cortisol levels in nurses working in emergency units (EU) and surgical units (SU). Methods: cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals with participation of 66 nurses. The Nursing Stress Inventory and the Fatigue Assessment Scale were applied, and saliva samples were obtained to determine cortisol concentration. Results: high levels of stress and fatigue were observed in 50.8% and 46% of the professionals, respectively. Nurses in EU had higher levels of stress and fatigue and lower secretion of salivary cortisol during the work shift compared to nurses in the SU, without statistical significance. Cortisol secretion in the morning period was correlated with fatigue (ρ=0.25 and p=0.04). Conclusions: the results suggest a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in nurses from the EU and a significant correlation between fatigue and cortisol secretion in the morning period.