Retratos del cuidado de la terapia ocupacional en el contexto hospitalario frente a la pandemia COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: This paper presents the practical experiences of occupational therapists who worked in a hospital context during the COVID-19 pandemic, from March to May 2020. With a qualitative approach, care actions are portrayed, based on data from an interview script. Results: The four interviewees are aged between 33 and 37 years old, three women and one man, with training time between 10 and 12 years, who worked between 4 and 7 years in high and medium complexity hospitals. Acting in direct assistance to patients and families, in management and or in teaching. Based on a situational diagnosis, care actions were developed for the team, patients in wards and intensive care units and families. With an active, careful and effective posture, they contributed so that the impacts of illness, hospitalization and deprivation of social contacts were minimized. Therapists reported impacts on their daily work due to changes in the work routine, the need to reorganize time, care for non-contamination, incorporation of new activities, making telephone calls, reducing social contacts between staff, increasing the level of stress, fear to contaminate themselves and their families. Conclusion: Despite the immense challenges, occupational therapists were involved in the care process within hospitals, working with patients, their families and staff, being essential for coping with the pandemic by COVID-19.