Diminuição transitória da carga de trabalho de enfermagem numa unidade de terapia intensiva cardiológica na pandemia de covid-19: um estudo de caso brasileiro

Abstract

Objective: Analyze the nursing workload in a cardiology intensive care unit of a tertiary and teaching hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Retrospective and ecological study conducted at the Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil. Monthly average Nursing Activities Score (NAS-mm) data were collected from the unit's opening in October 2014 until May 2023. The data were divided into pre- pandemic and pandemic periods, with the pandemic further divided into three phases, Year One: March 2020 to February 2021; Year Two: March 2021 to February 2022 and Year Three: March 2022 to May 2023. Generalized Linear Models were used for comparing means, and multiple comparisons were conducted using the Least Significant Difference test. Results: A workload decrease was observed during the pandemic, and it varied across different pandemic years. In the pre-pandemic period, the average was 53.80 points (95% CI: 52.99; 54.60; n = 65), whereas during the pandemic, the average was 52.02 points (95% CI: 50.88; 53.17; n = 39). The first year had the lowest average workload at 50.94 points, followed by the second year with an average of 48.37 points, while the third year had the highest average at 55.82 points, exceeding the pre-pandemic period's workload. Conclusion: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, a decrease in nursing workload was observed in the analyzed Cardiology Intensive Care Unit during the first two years, only returning to reference values in the third year.