Health and well-being in the work environment of nursing professionals in the neonatal ICU of a university hospital
Nursing professionals. Work conditions. Musculoskeletal disorders. Intensive care unit.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) adds a complex of care actions, which are developed for the delivery of complex care to patients with serious health problems. In this context, the health care nursing team has the role of promoting care. But, on the other hand, they are subjected to constant occupational risks, which originate from unhealthy and dangerous conditions, causing serious damage to the health of the nursing professional. In view of this situation, the present study had the objective of analyzing the working conditions and the presence of musculoskeletal disorders among nursing professionals in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It is a case study, descriptive, that brought together quantitative and qualitative techniques. How, observations, interviews and application of the Questionnaire on Working Conditions, Nordic Questionnaire and a questionnaire containing sociodemographic information. The population of the study was 42 nursing technicians and nurses filled in the Neonatal ICU. These women have an age of 36.32±6.62 years, most of whom are married or are in stable union, half of them have children and work about 30 to 40 hours a week. With regard to working conditions, the Psychobiological Aspects was the most critical factor, which lacks measures to eliminate them and/or attenuate them. However, Accident Risks remained low and other factors moderate. Symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders were reported in 95,2% of the cases, and 50% of the population had two or more symptoms and the severity index of these symptoms was moderate. The most recurrent problems in the last 12 months of musculoskeletal disorders were the ankles and/or feet, with the Hip and/or Thighs and Knees being the most reported functional disabilities among nursing professionals. Almost one specimen of the sample reported cases of symptom records in the preceding 12 months and seven days and withdrawal from the activities, a worrying event requiring intervention. When correlating the working conditions with the presence of musculoskeletal disorders, there was a very positive correlation with the physio-chemical aspects. Already the index of severity of musculoskeletal symptoms had a very negative correlation with the Physiochemical Aspects and weak negative correlation with the Requirements of Physical Effort. The study made it possible to systematize information that will serve as subsidies for proposing measures aimed at improving the work environment, which will positively reflect on the well-being of nursing professionals and, consequently, on the reduction of leave, leave or deviation of function.