A prevalência dos sintomas de ansiedade em profissionais da equipe de enfermagem atuantes na pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In early 2020, the world was faced with one of the greatest public health crises to be faced, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In addition to the problems caused to health, it was noticeable that anxiety and its symptoms were evident in the front line in the fight against the virus, the health professionals, which in this study focused on the Nursing team. OBJECTIVE: This present study has the general objective of analyzing the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in Nursing professionals working in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach carried out at a university hospital in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, during the period from 2022 to 2023, with 290 professionals from the Nursing team, formed by nurses and technicians/ nursing assistants, through the application of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Data Questionnaire instruments, being a secondary data survey and data collection obtained from the Nobre database (2023). RESULTS: The sample consisted mainly of female Nursing professionals (71.7%); belonging to the brown/mulatto race (50.0%); with nursing technical level graduates (60.3%); working as nursing technicians/assistants (83.9%), with a family income of more than three minimum wages (61.7%); workload between 24 and 30 hours per week (51.4%) and only one job (76.2%). Professionals from the Nursing team who have academic training at a higher level, working as nurses, with a weekly workload of 40 hours, married or in a stable relationship, with two jobs, showed the highest prevalence of developing anxiety symptoms. Female gender and brown/mulatto ethnicity showed a tendency for the appearance of anxiety symptoms. The internal consistency of BAI resulted in a Cronbach's Alpha score of 0.9. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it significant changes in the way society faces challenging situations. The Nursing team, known for its heroic and welcoming spirit, remains at the forefront, facing several problems that affect the health of the population. It is important to recognize their struggle and ensure the quality of their health.