Stressors and coping: nurses of an unit of hospital emergency

Abstract

The work in emergencies is stressful, hence the importance of coping strategies to maintain health and quality of care. The study seeks to identify stressors experienced by nurses who work in an emergency to a general hospital, coping mechanisms and implications for assistance. Search cross-sectional quantitative, analytical, at Emergency Hospital of Mother of God, in Porto Alegre / RS, in 2007, with 19 nurses. The instruments for data collection were "Inventory of Stress on Nurses', two open questions and sociodemographic data. Majorities are women, especially, 30-45 years old, 47.4% have children, 47% work for 10-15 years in the profession and 68% work exclusively. They live with many stressors; the analysis of categories of IEE shows little variability in scores. As for the interference of stressors in the audience, are: demand, remote assistance, urgency of time, among others. As for coping, are classified into strategies at work and outside. The former include dialogue, empathy, mutual aid and conflict resolution. Strategies outside work include leisure, meditation, relaxation, being with the family and enhance their lives. The management of occupational stress may reflect improvement in the performance of nurses in preserving health and extending the quality of care.