Physical and psychological repercussions on Nursing workers’ health in COVID-19 units: A mixed-methods research study

Abstract

Objective: to analyze how Nursing workers in COVID-19 hospital units perceive the physical and psychological repercussions of work on their health, as well as to identify the factors associated with their perceptions. Method: a parallel-convergent mixedmethods study conducted with 359 Nursing workers from COVID-19 units in seven hospitals. For the collection of quantitative data, a questionnaire containing sociodemographic and labor variables and related to perceptions of physical and psychological repercussions were used, and for qualitative data, semi-structured interviews were used. For the analysis, inferential statistics and thematic content analysis were used. Results: daytime workers, who had more than one employment contract and worked more than 41 hours/week perceived more moderate/intense physical repercussions, reporting overload and time off deficits. Nurses and CLT workers perceived psychological repercussions more moderately/intensely, mentioning managerial overload and job dissatisfaction. Women were 97% more likely to perceive physical repercussions and three times more likely to perceive psychological repercussions when compared to men, reporting household and family overloads. Conclusion: work and family overloads, intensified by the pandemic context, were associated with the intensity with which Nursing workers perceived physical and psychological repercussions.