A vida vem em ondas, como um mar: produção de sentidos, comunicação de notícias difíceis e a equipe de saúde no contexto da Covid-19

Abstract

Considering the hospital context and the relationship between pandemic and mental health, in which death situations cause changes in the rituals of face-to-face identification of the bodies of family members, as they imply risks of contagion, it is necessary to use remote technologies for this communication. This research focused on the production of meanings of the communication of difficult news among health professionals directly involved in the Covid-19 pandemic at the Professor Alberto Antunes University Hospital, located in Maceió, Alagoas. The professional practices involved in these processes were investigated; mental distress issues involving professionals; and the affects/effects produced on/in health professionals in the communication of difficult news in the context of the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. Approaching the social constructionist movement, discursive practices and production of meanings, this research consisted of the production of a field diary and a conversation circle with professionals. The field diary is an important tool for the production of information about the theme and the object, in addition to working on the implications, positions and affects of the researcher in the field. The conversation circle was held with the health professionals involved in the Communication of Difficult News of the Covid-19 Pandemic. For the organization and visualization of the dialogues in the conversation circle, the production of dialogic maps was used. The maps help to identify the linguistic repertoires used in dialogic interanimation, allowing the analysis of the production of meanings in the context. Five sets of meanings emerged from the circle: work processes, communication/dialogue, fake news, affectations and coping strategies. In addition to protocols, everyday relationships strengthened mutual support, bringing implications for the mental health of the health workers surveyed.