Repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic for the nursing team of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing professionals represent the driving force of health work in Brazil and in the world. However, there is ample evidence that adversarial working conditions are frequent in the routine of these professionals. Such adversities were worsened in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required a quick and effective response from the health sector, supported by the performance of health professionals in the management and care of the new disease. Objective: Report the working conditions of nursing professionals in pediatric intensive care and reflect on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This is an experience report of nurses from a pediatric intensive care unit in the care of children and adolescents with suspected or confirmed COVID. Experience report: The main vulnerabilities experienced by the team were: the fear of contagion by COVID-19; increased demand for monitoring and paramentation for care for children/adolescents in respiratory isolation; skin lesions and pain resulting from the constant use of personal protective equipment; concern and frustration in the face of anxiety and fear of children/adolescents and their accompanying person in isolation in the private room; increase in stressors at work, reducing the possibility of leisure and rest due to social isolation; workload due to health leave. Conclusion: With the spread of COVID-19, health services were overwhelmed. This exacerbated the adverse working conditions that already existed and brought even greater stressors, which affected the work environment and brought additional biological risks to the health of frontline care workers. This type of report contributes to the elaboration of valuation actions, better working conditions with centrality in the well-being of employees, bringing benefits for the category and for the quality of care provided.