AN ANALYSIS OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN NURSING PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN RESOURCE-LIMITED SETTINGS: A STUDY IN THE REGION OF PARAÍBA.
Nursing team. Occupational stress. Working conditions. Workers' health. Mental health.
Introduction: Occupational Health encompasses a set of measures to protect workers from the risks present in their work environments. In recent years, occupational stress has emerged as a relevant phenomenon. This type of stress is associated with physical and mental reactions triggered by the demands and circumstances of the work environment, and can lead to a series of health problems, both physical and psychological. In this context, professions such as nursing are particularly susceptible to occupational stress due to the demanding and emotionally challenging nature of the work. Objectives: To analyze occupational stress and associated factors in nursing professionals working in resource-limited settings in the interior of Paraíba. Methodology: This is an exploratory and descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, conducted at the Pedro Vieira Basic Health Unit in Sossego, Paraíba. The target population comprises 20 nursing professionals, with a minimum sample of 19 participants. Data collection used the Nurse Stress Scale (EBS), containing 51 items, was administered in person. The analysis will be statistically performed using Excel, with results presented in tables. Preliminary Results: The study was conducted with 19 professionals, predominantly female. Most nurses are between 31 and 40 years old and have up to 5 years of training, while technicians are distributed across various age groups and lack extensive experience in the unit. The results indicate that most of the activities evaluated generate little or moderate stress for professionals. Relationships with other units, pharmacy, and warehouses present varying levels of stress, while bureaucratic activities and performing tasks in a short timeframe are considered the most stressful. In patient care, activities were seen as mildly stressful, but critical situations, such as emergencies and dealing with death, generated the most stress. Final considerations: The study reveals that the majority of professionals studied are women, predominantly between 31 and 40 years old and with between 2 and 5 years of training. Regarding stress, bureaucratic activities and performing tasks in a time-limited manner were the most stressful, with patient care being classified mostly as little or moderately stressful. Overall, stress in the
workplace is moderate.