Veloso LUP, Laurindo LMB, Sousa LRP de et al. Prevalence of anxiety in nursing professionals... English/Portuguese J Nurs UFPE on line., Recife, 10(11):3969-76, Nov., 2016 3969 ISSN: 1981-8963 ISSN: 1981-8963 DOI: 10.5205/reuol.9881-87554-1-EDSM1011201619 PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY IN NURSING PROFESSIONALS OF URGENCY AND EMERGENCY PREVALÊNCIA DE ANSIEDADE EM PROFISSIONAIS DE ENFERMAGEM DE URGÊNCIA E EMERGÊNCIA PREVALENCIA DE ANSIEDAD EN LOS PROFESIONALES DE ENFERMERÍA DE URGENCIA Y EMERGENCIA Lorena Uchôa Portela Veloso1, Luciana Marcilon Braga Laurindo2, Lia Raquel Pereira de Sousa3, Caique Veloso4, Fernando José Guedes da Silva Junior5, Claudete Ferreira de Souza Monteiro6 ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the prevalence of anxiety in nursing professionals. Method: a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, with 90 professionals of the nursing staff of an urgency and emergency hospital in Teresina/PI, Brazil. The collection came from a semi-structured form and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Subsequently the data were analyzed using the program Statistical Package for Social Science. Results: we found that 27.8% had mild anxiety, 13.3% moderate and 3.3% severe, which mainly afflict nursing technicians. Regarding the physical and psychological symptoms related to anxiety highlighted the inability of relaxation and nervousness, respectively. Concl usion: there was a considerable amount of nursing staff professionals with moderate to severe anxiety. Thus, it is necessary to develop strategies to eliminate the factors causing anxiety in these professionals. Descriptors: Anxiety; Mental Health; Emergency Nusing. RESUMO Objetivo: identificar a prevalência de ansiedade em profissionais de enfermagem. Método: estudo transversal, de abordagem quantitativa, com 90 profissionais da equipe de enfermagem de um hospital de urgência e emergência de Teresina/PI, Brasil. A coleta ocorreu a partir de um formulário semiestruturado e do Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck. Posteriormente os dados foram analisados a partir do programa Statistical Package of Social Science. Resultados: constatou-se que 27,8% dos profissionais possuiam ansiedade leve, 13,3% moderada e 3,3% grave, as quais acometiam principalmente os técnicos de enfermagem. Quanto aos sintomas físicos e psíquicos relacionados à ansiedade destacaram-se a incapacidade de relaxamento e o nervosismo, respectivamente. Conclusão: houve uma quantidade considerável de profissionais da equipe de enfermagem com grau moderado a grave de ansiedade. Assim, faz-se necessário a elaboração de estratégias que eliminem os fatores causadores da ansiedade nesses profissionais. Descritores: Ansiedade; Saúde Mental; Enfermagem em Emergência. RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar la prevalencia de la ansiedad en los profesionales de enfermería. Método: un estudio transversal con un enfoque cuantitativo, con 90 profesionales del personal de enfermería de un hospital de urgencia y de emergencia en Teresina/PI, Brasil. La recolección de datos sucedió a partir de una forma semi-estructurada y el Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck. Posteriormente se analizaron los datos utilizando el paquete estadístico programa de Ciencias Sociales. Resultados: se encontró que el 27,8% de los profesionales poseía ansiedad leve, 13,3% moderada y 3,3% grave, que afectan principalmente a los técnicos de enfermería. En cuanto a los síntomas físicos y psicológicos relacionados con la ansiedad de manifiesto la incapacidad de la relajación y el nerviosismo, respectivamente. Conclusión : había una cantidad considerable de profesionales de enfermería con moderada a severa ansiedad. Por lo tanto, es necesario desarrollar estrategias para eliminar los factores que causan la ansiedad en estos profesionales. Descriptores: Ansiedad; Salud Mental; Enfermería de Urgencia. 1Nurse, Professor, Master degree in Nursing, State University of Piauí/UEPI. Teresina (PI), Brazil. Email: [email protected]; 2,3Students, Graduate Student of Nursing, State University of Piauí - UFPI. Teresina (PI), Brazil. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; 4Nurse, Master, Graduate Program of Nursing, Federal University of Piauí. Teresina (PI), Brazil. Email: [email protected]; 5Nurse, Professor, Phd student, Graduate Student of Nursing, Federal University of Piauí - UFPI. Teresina (PI), Brazil. Email: [email protected]; 6Nurse, Phd Professor, Graduate/Postgraduate Program of Nursing, Federal University of Piauí - UFPI. Teresina (PI), Brazil. Email: [email protected] ORIGINAL ARTICLEVeloso LUP, Laurindo LMB, Sousa LRP de et al. Prevalence of anxiety in nursing professionals... English/Portuguese J Nurs UFPE on line., Recife, 10(11):3969-76, Nov., 2016 3970 ISSN: 1981-8963 ISSN: 1981-8963 DOI: 10.5205/reuol.9881-87554-1-EDSM1011201619 The increase in the number of people seeking the Urgency and Emergency Units (UUE) has a strong impact on the health system. The unpredictability of demand, coupled with the severity of patients seeking this type of service, makes this challenging scenario for professionals in the health sector and managers, since UUE are strategic sectors in the hospital complex, the need for high-quality care front service different specialties and problems.1 Given this reality, the public emergency services have suffered from overcrowding, the accelerated pace of work, the workload of health professionals and the precariousness of physical resources, human and material. Such units often work beyond the limit of its capacity, with occupancy rates of upper beds their maximum occupancy, insufficient number of professionals for assistance with qualification not always adequate, excessive care, inadequate demand, poor planning and management of existing resources.2 Among the health professionals who work in these services include the nursing staff. In this context, the actions of care go beyond the technical knowledge and procedures, involving constant emotional health professionals to relieve suffering and deal with crises in situations of negative