Nursing performance in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 units: Implications for occupational health

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the implications of the pandemic on the Nursing team’s occupational health according to its performance in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 units. METHOD: a multicenter and mixed-methods study, with a sequential explanatory strategy. A total of 845 professionals took part in the first stage, answering an electronic form which contained sociodemographic and work-related variables, as well as about the pandemic and their health, in addition to the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. 19 professionals were interviewed in the second stage. The quantitative data were submitted to statistical analysis and the qualitative ones to thematic content analysis, with integration by connection. RESULTS: the pandemic exerted impacts on the professionals’ health, both in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 areas. However, composition of the teams presented different characteristics between the areas, as well as the risk perceptions and the work demands. CONCLUSION: the professionals working in areas COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 areas are equally affected, although with different work exposure regarding the requirements at work in the COVID-19 units and the fear of contamination in non-COVID-19 units.