Stress in health professionals: an review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: Stress is characterized, physiologically, as a process involving responses of the autonomic nervous system. It is considered occupational when it is defined as a process in which the individual can perceive the demands in the work environment as stressing or stressors, provoking negative reactions. Objective: To identify, in the literature, situations that can cause stress or burnout syndrome in health professionals and their possible consequences. Material and method: The selection criteria were complete articles published between the years 2014 and 2018, published in Portuguese language, without restricting type of study, but that addressed as a priority the theme: stress situations in health professionals. The survey was conducted in 6 electronic databases accessible on the web. Resultados: It was observed that health professionals may be exposed to various situations that favor the emergence of stress, among them overload of work, relationship with the patient, lack of resources, conflicts with other professionals, death of patients and exhaustive workdays. The symptoms related to stress are evidenced according to the stage in which the individual is experiencing, varying between arterial hypertension, migraine, tension, anxiety attacks, despondency and even infarction. Conclusion: Occupational stress is detrimental to health professionals, evidencing the need for preventive measures to minimize losses in the quality of life of the health worker.