Abstract
Objective
To analyze the work-related health damage of nurses in a university hospital.
Methods
Cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 135 nurses from a university hospital located in the southeast region of Brazil between December 2018 and February 2019 with the application of questionnaires for personal and occupational characterization and the Work-Related Damage Assessment Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.
Results
Physical illness prevailed among nurses. Psychological and social damage were evaluated as bearable. The items “digestive disorders” (2.35±1.18), “bad mood” (2.41±1.12), “headache” (2.58±1.11), “body pain” (2.81±1.15), “back pain” (2.90±1.29), “sleep disorders” (2.96±1.28) and “leg pain” (3.00 ±1.25) had a critical evaluation by nurses, which represents a risk for illness. No significant associations between the studied variables and illness were identified.
Conclusion
Nurses are subject to risks for illness related to work in the university hospital under study that trigger physical illness. Social support is a likely explanation for not getting psychologically and socially ill.
Nurses; Hospitals, university; Occupational health; Working conditions