Factors related to sickness absenteeism among Brazilian Nursing professionals before, during, and after the pandemic^*

Objective: to identify factors related to sick leave absenteeism among Brazilian nursing professionals before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: a cross-sectional study involving nursing professionals from medical, surgical, intensive care, and adult emergency units, with absences recorded between 2019 and 2022. Sociodemographic, occupational, and absence-related variables were evaluated. Descriptive statistical analysis, absenteeism rate calculation, and Poisson Regression with robust variance were performed, considering p≤0.05.

Results: a sample of 839 professionals, with 7,375 absences, was analyzed. Sick leave absenteeism resulted in an average of 54.1±2.5 lost days (p<0.001) and was more prevalent among professionals aged 41 years or younger (31.8%; p=0.003). The intensive care (31.3%) and medical inpatient (27.5%) units reported the highest number of absences. The highest absenteeism rate (9.9%) occurred in July 2020. The risk of illness was associated with male gender (p≤0.001) and intensive care unit work (p=0.007) in the 1^st period; being single (p=0.002) and being a nursing technician (p=0.022) in the 2^nd period; and working in intensive care (p=0.003) and as a nursing technician (p≤0.001) in the 3^rd period.

Conclusion: after the end of the pandemic, absenteeism rates did not return to pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 and musculoskeletal diseases were the most prevalent causes. It was possible to investigate the factors related to absenteeism.

Descriptors:
Absenteeism; Occupational Health; Nursing; COVID-19; Pandemics; Personnel Management

Highlights:

(1) The number of days absent and age ≤ 41 are associated with absenteeism. (2) The main causes of sick leave absenteeism were COVID-19 and musculoskeletal diseases. (3) Medical inpatient care had the highest absenteeism rate across all sectors and periods. (4) Absence during the 2nd and 3rd periods exceeded that of the 1st, but was high in all periods.