Analysis of the perception of stress factors in nurses working in an Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction: Stress is a serious problem that plagues a large proportion of citizens today and nurses are a professional group particularly subject to this disorder, due to the nature of their functions.

Objective: To analyze the stress levels of nurses in the Emergency Service of a Hospital Center in the Northern Region of Portugal and its relationship with shift work.

Material and Methods: Descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional and quantitative study. The Professional Stress Scale for Nurses was applied to a sample of 60 nurses. Data processing was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The majority of participants were female (68.3%), aged between 31 and 40 years old (61.7%). It was found that, in relation to sociodemographic variables, participants with children presented higher levels of stress. Furthermore, regarding professional variables, participants who accumulate roles in other institutions perceived high levels of stress. However, there was no relationship between the stress variable and the work regime.

Conclusions: This study highlights the significant interconnection between stress and the nursing profession, highlighting the challenges faced by these professionals. It is imperative that healthcare institutions recognize and address these challenges by implementing effective stress management strategies, offering psychological support and promoting healthy work environments.

Keywords: nursing; emergency service; stress; shift work.