Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to assess burnout syndrome in nursing technicians working in an Intensive Care Unit exclusively for COVID-19 patients. METHODS: a quantitative and qualitative study was carried out at a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The quantitative stage included a sample of 51 professionals, using Maslach Burnout Inventory. The qualitative stage involved interviews with 12 professionals, and data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences and the R Interface for Multidimensional Analysis of Texts and Questionnaires. RESULTS: most participants, mainly women (74.5%), did not present criteria for burnout. Quantitatively, protection against COVID-19, satisfaction and adequate resources reduced exhaustion and depersonalization. Qualitatively, factors for the development of burnout and protective aspects emerged. CONCLUSIONS: the association between emotional exhaustion, high work demands and lack of appropriate equipment suggests a greater predisposition to mental health problems. However, workers developed strategies that allowed them to measure their job satisfaction.