LOPES GUERRER, F.J.    FERRAZ BIANCHI, E.R.. Nurses' stress in icu in brazilian regions. []. , 10, 22. ISSN 1695-6141.

Introduction: This research is based on a survey regarding he level of stress and the stressors in ICU nurses in the regions of Brazil. The study received approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee. Methodology: The data were collected from May to December 2005. The Bianchi Stress Scale, constituted by a socio-demographic categorization and 51 items about activities performed by nurses, was used. Sample: The sample was comprised of 263 ICU nurses working in high-complexity hospitals of Brazilian state capitals. The sample was predominantly female (91.6%) and young (80.2% < 40 years old). Of the total sample, 87.8% were assistential nurses and 74.5% held a postgraduate degree. Results: Considering the stressors score by region, the results showed that Southeast (SE) > Central-West (CW) > North (N) > Northeast (NE) > South (S). Nurses in the Southeast region had higher levels of stress when compared with those in the Northeast in domain C, and this result is statistically significant. Conclusion: The study evidentiates the need to better prepare nurses to overcome difficulties by providing them with accessible tools in order to assess stressors based on the available coping mechanisms, thus lowering the occurrence of individual stress.

: Stress; Intensive Care Unit; Nursing.

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