Fisioterapeutas intensivistas no atendimento à Covid-19: agravos à saúde relacionados ao trabalho e estratégias de enfrentamento

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze how physiotherapists working in the Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic understand their work and its effects on their health, interpersonal and family relationships, as well as individual, collective and institutional coping strategies. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative design, based on a sociodemographic questionnaire developed by the researchers and an individual interview. The results of this research reveal the sociodemographic profile of intensive care physiotherapists who worked during the Covid-19 pandemic. The narratives constructed through the interviews show that the participants were subject to the risk of contracting the virus, as well as experiencing the pain and suffering of being away from their families, witnessing deaths on a daily basis and having to communicate bad news at all times. They exemplify the presence of intense psychological suffering on the part of health professionals. They also shed light on the coping strategies used by these workers, individually and collectively, in the face of the situation they are experiencing. The conclusion is that it is necessary to adopt structured mental health care actions in hospitals and professional groups, as well as encouraging spaces that favor mental health in the context of personal relationships.