ABSTRACT
Objective: To compare absenteeism in Hospital Nursing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional study. It involved compilation of the records of absence from Nursing work at a university hospital in southern Brazil in March, April and May 2019 (n=622) and during the same period in 2020 (n=475). The data were analyzed by means of descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: Both periods presented the same absence frequencies in women (98.4%;98.3%), aged between 40 and 49 years old (47.9%;44.8%) and working in wards for adults (30.7%;29.2%). Absenteeism-Disease was the most prevalent cause (48.4%;48%). The absolute number of absence cases was higher in the prepandemic period;however, the time in days and hours lost, as well as the absenteeism rate (13.9;18.6%), was significantly higher (p-value<0.001) in the current pandemic period. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic exerted an impact on the increase in Hospital Nursing absenteeism. © 2022, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. All rights reserved.