Mini ReviewOpen Access

Stress Level of Critical Care Nurses: Evaluation by Heart Rate Variability

Volume 4 - Issue 3

**Sara P Carvalho¹, Francielly Correa¹, Elbert EN Macau*^2,3and Laurita dos Santos⁴**

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- ¹Western Paraná University Hospital -Unioeste, Cascavel, Brazil
- ²Computing and Applied Mathematics Laboratory, National Institute for Space Research- INPE, Brazil
- ³Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil
- ⁴Scientific and Technological Institute, Universidade Brasil - UnBr, Brazil
*Corresponding author:Elbert EN Macau, Computing and Applied Mathematics Laboratory, National Institute for Space Research- INPE, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil, Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil

Received: May 06, 2018; Published: May 14,2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.04.001068

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Abstract

Stress has long been considered one of the main health problems of the modern world, especially as it interferes in the quality of life and the individual’s work. The heart rate variability (HRV) has been studied as a non-invasive way to evaluate the stress level for its relationship with cardiac autonomous regulation. In this work, we assess the relationship between HRV and the stress level of intensivists nurses. We analyse data from 31 nurses that work in critical care units of assistance to adults and pediatric patients. By proper analysing the HRV applied in this study, it was possible to observe that after working there was a decrease of components of variability. This allow us to claim that there is a high correlation between decreased heart rate variability and high- level occupational stress classified by Bianchi Stress Questionnaire.

Keywords: Stress level; Nursing; Heart rate variability; Sympathetic nervous system

Abbreviation: HRV: Heart Rate Variability; TXT: Text File Format; AR: Autoregressive; VLF: Very Low Bands Frequency; LF: Low Frequency; HF: High Frequency; ICU: Intermediate Care Unit; CCU: Critical Care Unit; ER: Emergency Room; BMI: Body Mass Index