Psychosocial risk factors and health status of nurses in a Geriatric Hospital in the city of Rosario in August 2021

The professional practice of nursing involves exposure to a series of factors and conditions that demand the physical, cognitive and emotional involvement of nurses. The imbalance between these demands and the possibility of the professional's response can give rise to a scenario of occupational stress that, if prolonged over time, harms the physical and mental health of individuals. The aim of this study was to describe the psychosocial risk factors and the health status of nurses in a Geriatric Hospital in the city of Rosario in August 2021. A descriptive and cross-sectional research study was carried out with a qualitative methodological approach design on the two variables under study. The research site was a comprehensive care institution for the elderly where 30 nurses were selected to perform nursing functions in the 9 inpatient wards. The sampling was non-probabilistic and random until the proposed number of nurses from all the wards was covered.The data collection technique was the survey and a self-administered questionnaire with 21 closed and one open-ended questionnaire was used as an instrument. The instrument was tested with 14 undergraduate students to assess the clarity of the questions posed. The surveyed data showed that the quantitative deficit in the provision of nursing equipment within the work schedule influences their mental health more than the work shift itself (50% and 43% respectively). The work tasks and problems specific to Nursing influence the mental health of the respondents with fairly even parity (43% in both cases). The physical symptoms expressed by the respondents show a predominance of physical fatigue (80% of the cases), physical fatigue (80% of the cases), and physical fatigue (80% of the cases).physical fatigue (80% of the cases), myalgias (63%) and frequent headaches (43%). Some 13% of the nurses showed the psychic symptoms of emotional exhaustion, emotional hardening and frustration -indicators of chronic work stress-; 17% have at least two of these symptoms and 20% only one. Half of the nurses did not express any symptoms of chronic job stress