Health problems among emergency and urgent care nursing staff

The growing change in work, in a capitalist and globalised world, is imposing a faster and more efficient style of work on workers, with the need for them to adjust to an accelerated pace of production, triggering experiences of pleasure but also growing uncertainties and dissatisfaction, giving rise to feelings of boredom and anguish. Hospitals are not very different from this reality, due to the remarkable complexity and peculiarity of the services provided, which need to satisfy the individual needs of clients. However, the literature says little about urgent and emergency services, but it is important to note that the working environment of nursing staff in emergency situations is related to physical, chemical, biological and environmental conditions, as they need to perform tasks that must be carried out quickly and with adequate quality, as they influence the prognosis and can compromise the patient’s life. This tension generates situations of physical and emotional exhaustion for workers, leading to a decrease in their capacity for work, absenteeism, high costs of leave, death, and the quality of care provided to patients.