QUALITY OF LIFE AT WORK AND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS OF NURSING IN AN EMERGENCY CARE UNIT

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate and relate quality of life at work and occupational stress in the nursing team in the Emergency Care Unit. Method: a cross-sectional, correlational study conducted with 109 nursing workers working in the Emergency Care Unit of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A questionnaire with demographic and labor profile was used; the occupational stress was verified by the Job Stress Scale, and the quality of life at work by the Walton model. Results: Among the 109 workers, 34.9% were nurses, 53.2% nursing technicians and 11.9% nursing assistants. In analyzing the Job Stress Scale, 14.7% characterize work with high demand, 8.3% active work, 40.4% passive work and 36.7% work with low demand. In assessing quality of life at work, 39.5% are dissatisfied and 60.5% satisfied. The factors associated with dissatisfaction with work, according to the global scale quality of life at work, were female gender, nurse, low support at work, high demand or active work and longer time in the position held. Conclusion: it was found that most nursing workers in the Emergency Care Unit are satisfied with their quality of life at work and exposed to moderately occupational stress, and those most exposed to this stress were dissatisfied with their quality of life at work.