THE CHALLENGES OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE CONTEXT OF PPE's

Abstract

Introduction: With the outbreak of Covid-19, caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, health systems, in a short space of time, drastically changed the way health professionals work, especially nurses, in the care of users of the urgency and emergency service, given the high power of contamination of SARS-CoV-2. In this sense, it is evident the importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the preservation of the health of these professionals and patients.Objective: Recognize the importance of PPE for the preservation of the health of nursing professionals and patients, emphasizing the need for training for the correct use and handling of this equipment.Methods: This is a literature review in a qualitative approach, where scientific articles and other research works available on health sites were used as a subsidy, having as main theoretical contribution the publications of the Ministry of Health, National Agency of Health Surveillance and the World Health Organization.Conclusion: The studies showed that, in addition to the importance of the availability of PPE's, it is necessary that health institutions offer training regarding the proper handling of these professionals, thus ensuring greater effectiveness in the use of PPE's in the care of patients with serious infections, such as to COVID-19.