Impact of COVID-19 on nursing work in emergency units

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) on nursing work in emergency units. Methods: A qualitative research conducted among nursing professionals operating in emergency units in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data collected online through a semi-structured form and submitted to lexicographic analysis in the software Interface de R pour Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes Et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ). Results: Thirty-one nursing professionals participated. The use of the text corpus accounted for 94.9%, through the generation of six classes of text segments, which made it possible to identify that professionals working in these units have experienced overload in developing work, given the exhausting workload, as well as the lack of infrastructure, protective equipment and human resources. Also, physical and mental exhaustion was evidenced, with emphasis on stress and exhaustion, in addition to the feeling of fear for fear of contamination. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic promoted direct impacts on nursing work in emergency units regarding aspects related to human and material resources and infrastructure, in addition to the care provided to patients in severe conditions.