ABSENTEEISM IN NURSING IN THE FACE OF COVID-19: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN A HOSPITAL FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL
Ana Bárbara Simões Luz Alves, Fabiana Gonçalves de Oliveira Azevedo Matos, Ariana Rodrigues da Silva Carvalho, Débora Cristina Ignácio Alves, Nelsi Salete Tonini, Reginaldo Passoni dos Santos, Juliana Aparecida Peixoto Nishiyama, João Lucas Campos de Oliveira
Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective to compare absenteeism in Hospital Nursing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method cross-sectional study. It involved compilation of the records of absence from Nursing work at a university hospital in southern Brazil in March, April and May 2019 (n=622) and during the same period in 2020 (n=475). The data were analyzed by means of descriptive and analytical statistics. Results both periods presented the same absence frequencies in women (98.4%; 98.3%), aged between 40 and 49 years old (47.9%; 44.8%) and working in wards for adults (30.7%; 29.2%). Absenteeism-Disease was the most prevalent cause (48.4%; 48%). The absolute number of absence cases was higher in the pre-pandemic period; however, the time in days and hours lost, as well as the absenteeism rate (13.9; 18.6%), was significantly higher (p-value<0.001) in the current pandemic period. Conclusion the COVID-19 pandemic exerted an impact on the increase in Hospital Nursing absenteeism.