Quality of professional life of intensive care unit workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Introduction: Intensive care environment poses daily challenges to health workers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, intensive care unit staff experienced significant levels of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Although they find satisfaction in their work, repeated exposure to the suffering caused by patients' severe conditions exposes them to a high risk of compassion fatigue.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic and professional variables and the professional quality of life represented by compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in a high-complexity hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2020 in an intensive care unit of a Brazilian hospital. Participants were 89 health care workers who completed a questionnaire via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform, consisting of sociodemographic data and the Professional Quality of Life instrument. Professionals who were on leave for more than 2 months, enrolled in residency programs, or in leadership positions were excluded.

Results: Levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress were characterized as moderate, affecting 98.9%, 69.7%, and 59.5% of the sample, respectively. No sociodemographic variable was associated with professional quality of life.

Conclusions: Workers showed moderate levels of compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. No association was found between sociodemographic variables and professional quality of life. Understanding such issues among workers is crucial for the implementation of mental health promotion interventions.