Intensive unit care: stressing factors in the nursing staff perception

Objective: to identify the stress factors in the nursing staff perception. Method: this is about a descriptive and exploratory study, from quantitative approach, approved by Ethics in Research Committee of the University of Taubaté, protocol 077/09. The population was composed by officials of the nursing staff of intensive care units at two hospitals in the Paraíba Valley Paulista region. 21 employees of Hospital A and 23 from Hospital B agreed to participate in the survey. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Data were quantified by Microsoft Excel Program 2003. Results: the factors considered stressful by both teams were carrying out activities with minimal time available, meeting many patients, working with untrained people, accounting for more than an occupational function, lacking of equipment, physical effort to accomplish the work. The factors that stood out were low pay and need to have more than one job. Conclusion: the aforementioned factors are peculiar to all health institutions, a fact the make us reflect on ways to prevent and relieve the tension of the workplace, to promote better working conditions and improve the quality of life staff employees.