Risk factors for stress in professionals at the North emergency care unit in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Emergency care units provide intermediate complexity care services, are open 24 hours a day, and are frequently required to attend to high levels of demand, especially so during the Covid-19 pandemic. On-duty shift work at emergency care units is highly conducive to causing excessive stress. OBJECTIVES: To identify the risk factors for excessive stress among workers at the North emergency care unit, in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered covering basic information and data on lifestyle to the workers at the unit, in addition to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and a single-item instrument for diagnosis of stress. RESULTS: It was possible to recruit 44 participants. It was observed that 57% of the participants exhibited stress and 31.82% had excessive sleepiness. Having more than one job, drinking alcohol, having attended higher education, and having excessive sleepiness increased the likelihood of exhibiting stress. There was a statistical significant association of very large magnitude between performing housework and exhibiting symptoms of stress (p = 0.028; r(ɸ) = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of workers with stress found among the study participants reveals a need for measures to review their working processes, such as creating space for dialogue between workers and management or implementing shared management, with the objective of minimizing development of work-related disorders, with benefits both for the workers and the Unit.