Os efeitos do trabalho em turnos diurno e noturno sobre a pressão arterial e a qualidade de sono em trabalhadores de enfermagem

Abstract

Shift work is a feature of nursing practice, since care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, uninterrupted. The duration of the workday night has been identified as a potential risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Sleep deprivation, which exists in this type of work, not only leads to a loss of cognition and subsequent physical performance, but also represents serious metabolic consequences such as suppression of growth hormones, circadian rhythms, and consequently an increase in mean arterial pressure. Objectives: To investigate the effects of day and night shift work on blood pressure and sleep quality in nursing workers. Methods and case series: Case-control study of a quantitative approach that was performed with 92 professionals from the nursing team of a university hospital in the interior of Minas Gerais. For data collection, validated instruments such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were used, as well as blood pressure measurement. Results: predominance of the female gender, 80.4%, with a mean age of 41.52 years; 60.9% presented technical level, 44.6% presented altered pressure level. The night shift staff had systolic and diastolic pressures higher than those of the day (p = 0.007 and 0.003), 66.3% had poor sleep quality and 59.9% excessive daytime sleepiness. Conclusion: shift work presents as a precipitating factor for the appearance of arterial hypertension due to long deprivations and poor sleep quality and a high level of daytime sleepiness.