[Nurses' social representations of work-related stress in an emergency room].

The aim of this study was to understand the social representations of nurses in the emergency room and their relationship to stress. This descriptive, exploratory study was performed using a qualitative approach, with Social Representations Theory being the prime focus. Research was conducted at a benchmark public hospital for emergency services in the municipality of Natal/RN. The sample consisted of 10 nurses. A content analysis approach was used for data analysis. The results indicate that the relationship between nurses' social representations of work and stress is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon that contributes to the development of physical, emotional and mental illnesses, and exhaustion.