Work Stress in Health Professionals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the importance of work stress in health professionals, in publications from 2019 to 2022. Methods: The method used was a systematic review with an analysis of empirical data on a specific topic. To obtain the information, databases Scopus, Direct, EBSCO, and the PRISMA strategy were reviewed, preselecting 313 open access articles, 300 studies were not included because they were not original or didn’t have complete information, remaining as a sample 13 original articles. Results and Conclusion: The results show that the highest percentage of studies on work stress fall on nurses and doctors, due to coexistence with suffering and death, high patient demand, long work shifts, among other reasons. It is concluded that work stress can have a negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of health professionals, as well as on their work performance. Research implications: Work stress is a physical and emotional reaction of the worker to perceived demands and pressures that are not adapted to their knowledge and abilities to face a certain situation. Originality/value: From this perspective, the importance of those most relevant aspects is analyzed and of providing a small advance in the treatment of people within organizations, which contributes to the improvement of their competitiveness and allows a greater degree of development of the organizations.