Salud mental en el personal de enfermería que labora en el área de emergencia del Hospital General del Norte de Guayaquil Los Ceibos.

Abstract

Mental health refers to a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being that enables individuals to cope with stress, work productively, and contribute to their community. Objective: To determine the mental health of nursing staff working in the emergency department of the Los Ceibos General Hospital in northern Guayaquil. Methodology: This was a descriptive, quantitative, prospective, cross-sectional study. The population consisted of 50 nursing staff. Technique: Survey. Instrument: Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) and Goldberg General Health Questionnaire. Results: The study included 50 nurses, 66.0% of whom were female, under 30 years of age (60.0%), single (58.0%), and residents of urban areas (76.0%). Regarding mental health, 92.0% presented severe psychological distress. Mild stress levels predominated (58.0%). Regarding the dimensions assessed using the Nursing Stress Scale (NSS), moderate levels of workload, death and suffering, lack of staff support, uncertainty about treatment, and interpersonal conflicts were identified. Finally, the main factors influencing mental health were high workload (72%), staff shortages (68%), high responsibility (64%), long working hours (60%), and night shifts (56%). Conclusion: The mental health of nursing staff in the emergency department shows a marked deterioration, primarily influenced by work overload, staff shortages, long working hours, and the high demands of the healthcare environment.