Abstract
Objective: To identify the level of stress of the managers of the Basic Health Units of a municipality in northeastern Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive study, with a quantitative approach. The research fields were the Basic Health Units (UBS) and the Family Health Units (USF) of the five Health Districts (East, West, South, North I and North II) of Natal-RN, Brazil, in the first semester 2018, so that the final sample was 44 managers. The results were entered into an electronic spreadsheet and data analysis was performed using simple descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. Results: 44 managers participated in the study: the majority were female, with a mean age of 49.41 years (SD = 8.92). Regarding the stress phase that the managers were in, it was observed that 17 (38.6%) were in the Resistance Phase; 2 (4.5%) in the Near Exhaustion phase; and 10 (22.7%) were in the exhaustion phase. Conclusion: It was evidenced that the majority of the managers of the Basic Health Units present stress, and a part of them is already inserted in the Exhaustion phase, which is when the individual starts to be susceptible to the appearance of diseases.