Abstract
Nursing work is highly relevant to society but is associated with significant suffering as well as physical and emotional demands that often result in illness. In light of these observations, we sought to explore the profile of illness in nursing professionals in Brazil and identify its relationship to working conditions. This was achieved through an integrative literature review of studies in the Virtual Health Library published between 2010 and 2018, retrieved with the keywords “worker,” “nursing” and “illness.” Twenty-one articles were included in this review. Illnesses described by the articles were categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases. Mental and behavioral disorders, as well as diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues, were the most frequently cited. The working conditions most commonly mentioned in connection with work-related illness were the work organization, team profiles, professional overload, and understaffing. Most studies involved nurses in emergency care, general hospitals, and intensive care units. Gaps in the knowledge on other areas of nursing work and illnesses were identified, demonstrating the need for further studies on the topic to improve workers’ quality of life, and consequently, the quality of the service offered.
Highlights
Work is a crucial component of individual health and can contribute to the improvement or deterioration of health status.[1]
According to Resolution No 0564/2017 of the Federal Council of Nursing (Conselho Federal de Enfermagem),4 “nursing is a science, art, and social practice that is crucial to the organization and functioning of health care services” and its functions include, among other things, the promotion and restoration of health through interventions provided by individual professionals or groups of nursing workers
The risk of illness in nursing professionals is high, especially for those working in hospital settings who are in close contact with death and must carry out unpleasant and stressful activities.[3]
Summary
Work is a crucial component of individual health and can contribute to the improvement or deterioration of health status.[1]. The risk of illness in nursing professionals is high, especially for those working in hospital settings who are in close contact with death and must carry out unpleasant and stressful activities.[3] Factors such as night shifts, personnel shortages, structural deficiencies, and high levels of emotional strain are among the contributors to morbidity among nursing workers, who are placed in the difficult position of providing health care at the cost of their own wellbeing.[1] The challenges faced by nurses, especially those involved with the Family Health Strategy (Estratégia Saúde da Família; ESF), include the psychological impact of a high patient-to-nurse ratio and the deficiencies in other health care sectors, all of which have an unfavorable impact on the well-being of public health workers.[5]
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