A influência da pandemia por COVID-19 na qualidade de vida de enfermeiros em unidades de terapia intensiva: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease with acute respiratory symptoms caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Due to the growing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) were overwhelmed and ran out of available beds, and there was the need of ICUs isolated from other hospital areas. Among the professionals of the multidisciplinary team, the nurse was highlighted, being this professional the key in the ICUs. The work environment of nurse in the ICUs with constant exposure to the circulating virus, generated a state of fear of death, anxiety, and lasting stress which may have influenced the quality of life of this professional. Objectives: To verify the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of nursing professionals in ICUs. Methods: This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines, and the registration was in the PROSPERO with the number CRD42023450824. The databases PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library was used on July 7th, 2024. The question of the study was structured by the acronym PEO, P- population (nurses professionals in ICUs), E- exposition (COVID-19), O- outcome (quality of life). This review aims to respond to the research question, “What was the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the quality of life of nurses in ICUs?”. The studies were identified selected for inclusion according to the eligibility criteria. The level of evidence of each selected publication was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Levels of Evidence. The assessment of the methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies were carried out using Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results: Seven articles were included in this systematic review. The results of the overall risk of bias assessment for the included studies showed that four studies had a high risk of bias, two had a moderate risk, and one had a low risk of bias. The results demonstrate negative impacts of the pandemic on nurses' quality of life, mainly due to factors such as stress, Burnout due to high workload, and lack of social support. Conclusion: This review suggests that ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic faced significant moral distress and stress due to high workloads and traumatic environments, which impact on quality of life, highlighting the need for psychological support and targeted interventions to improve the well-being and resilience of these essential professionals. Further studies are needed, with better methodological quality, to demonstrate more efficiently the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of these ICU nurses.