Aim:

This study aims to report the experience of the authors, nurses working in the care of patients in a psychiatric hospitalization unit in Rio de Janeiro, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

It is an experience report about the difficulties and the solutions found in the attempt to protect and care for the suspected and/or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the unit.

Results:

Several challenges were encountered due to the specificity of the assisted clientele, including hygiene and contact issues; elderly patients and/or patients with clinical comorbidities, in addition to coping with the adaptation to the operational protocols and recommendations, added to their successive adaptations as a result of new findings concerning the disease. Furthermore, we identified an increased need to care for the mental health of nursing professionals.

Conclusion:

It is essential to pay the utmost attention to the mental health of nursing professionals in psychiatric units, in the short, medium and long term as these professionals cannot be absent from the front line.