Carga mental de trabalho e o desempenho de profissionais da enfermagem que prestam cuidados a pacientes com COVID-19: um estudo transversal

The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc not only on people's mental health, but also on healthcare systems around the world. And on the front line were the professionals who struggled daily to save lives, especially nurses. Given the great importance they had on the front lines and the consequences of the hard work, understanding the aspects of the mental load exerted by these professionals has become an important factor. Thus, this study aimed to identify levels of mental workload and self-perceived performance of nursing professionals who provide care to patients in Covid-19. The professionals interviewed were nurses from the public and private network in the city of Mossoró and surroundings. Through the application of questionnaires and data processing, it was possible to analyze the mental load indices using the NASA TLX method. The results obtained demonstrate that all professionals interviewed have a mental load higher than they should have, which demonstrates an alarming scenario as a consequence of the profession and work on the front line of the pandemic