Occupational stress among health workers of a university hospital. / Estresse ocupacional entre trabalhadores de saúde de um hospital universitário.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occupational stress among health workers in a university hospital. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted with health workers in the areas of nursing and medicine at a university hospital in southern Brazil. The data were collected between August of 2011 and August of 2012 by a questionnaire of characterization and Job Stress Scale. A descriptive and univariate analysis was performed (Kruskal-Wallis). RESULTS: The participants presented high demand and high control of the work and low social support, indicating an active work. Nurses had less control over work (p<0.001) and physicians received more social support (p=0.006). Reduced social support was related to greater exposure to stress among nursing assistants and technicians (p=0.012). CONCLUSION: Workers who felt the low social support had higher exposure to stress. It is necessary to implement stress prevention strategies among health workers, such as the strengthening of social support at work.

Factors associated with workaholism in nurses' mental health: integrative review.

OBJECTIVE: to synthesize the main scientific evidence available on the factors associated with workaholism in nurses' mental health. METHOD: this is an integrative review carried out in seven databases. The sample consisted of 11 studies. The Level of Evidence classification followed the model described by Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt. Methodological quality was assessed using the Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Data analysis and synthesis were carried out in a qualitative and descriptive manner, respectively. RESULTS: the factors associated with workaholism were burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, sleep-related problems, low ability to concentrate and negative incidents at work, which affected the mental health of nurses. CONCLUSION: the synthesis revealed that workaholism was related to perceived stress at work, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and anxious and depressive symptoms, which resulted in low professional effectiveness and poor sleep quality among workaholic professionals.

Quality of life and factors associated among public university employees retired due to disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze quality of life and factors associated among public university employees retired due to disabilities. METHOD: a cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of public university employees retired due to disabilities. A characterization questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Disabilities instrument were applied via telephone or online contacts from November 2019 to September 2020. The associated factors were verified through multiple linear regression. RESULTS: of the 80 retirees due to disability, 15% were professors and 85% had a technical-administrative career. As for the factors associated with Quality of Life, continuous medication use (ßadj: -0.25; p=0.02) and problems in the nervous system (ßadj: -0.21; p<0.05) were associated with the Overall domain; continuous medication use (ßadj: -0.23; p=0.04), to the Physical domain; smoking (ßadj: -0.21; p<0.05) and mental and behavioral disorders (ßadj: -0.21; p<0.01), to the Psychological domain; smoking (ßadj: -0.46; p<0.01) and respiratory (ßadj: -0.21; p=0.03) and circulatory (ßadj: -0.21; p=0.03) problems, to the Social domain; smoking (ßadj: -0.33; p<0.01) and problems in the nervous system (ßadj: -0.22; p=0.04), to the Environmental domain; mental and behavioral disorders, to the Disabilities module (ßadj: -0.29; p<0.01) and to the Discrimination domain (ßadj: -0.21; p<0.05); and smoking (ßadj: -0.32; p<0.01) and problems in the nervous system (ßadj: -0.20; p<0.05), to the Inclusion domain. The Autonomy domain did not present any association. CONCLUSION: the retirees under study presented impaired Quality of Life.

Factors associated with work activity of technical-administrative staff from state universities retired due to disability.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the factors associated with the type of work activity performed by university technical-administrative staff retired due to disability. METHOD: Cross-sectional research with 68 workers, conducted using an electronic questionnaire between November 2019 and September 2020. Data were collected on sociodemographic, occupational characterization and causes of disability. Data were analyzed descriptively and by multiple logistic regressions. RESULTS: Health professionals were more likely to have mental and behavioral disorders, associated with females and regardless of age. The chances of the nervous system diseases were higher in workers who performed administrative work, being associated with higher education. Operational employees were more likely to have musculoskeletal diseases associated with primary and secondary education and were male, regardless of age. CONCLUSION: There was an association between work activity performed before retirement and the diseases responsible for disability, with differences between gender, age, and educational levels.

Burnout syndrome and workplace violence among nursing staff: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Among healthcare professionals, nursing workers are the most prone to becoming victims of workplace violence and present the highest burnout levels. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between burnout syndrome and workplace violence among nursing workers. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study carried out at a teaching hospital in southern Brazil. METHODS: This study involved 242 nursing workers. We collected data over a six-month period using a sociodemographic and occupational survey, the Survey Questionnaire Workplace Violence in the Health Sector and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey. For occupational violence, we selected the Survey Questionnaire Workplace Violence in the Health Sector. Burnout syndrome was evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey. The data were analyzed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Categorical variables were described as absolute and relative frequencies and numerical variables in terms of central trend and dispersion measurements. For data analysis, we applied descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The multiple models indicated that the workers who had experienced verbal abuse, physical violence and concern about workplace violence over the past 12 months had significantly higher chances of presenting high emotional exhaustion (P < 0.05) and depersonalization (P < 0.05) and low professional accomplishment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Occurrence of violence significantly increased the chances of great emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low professional achievement, within burnout syndrome. Therefore, workplace violence prevention strategies need to be put in place to provide workers with a safe workplace in which to conduct their activities.

Associated factors of professional burnout among faculty members of graduate stricto sensu programs in language teaching and linguistics: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The burnout syndrome can be avoided and/or have its signs and symptoms reduced by knowing the five associated factors that help identify the health and working conditions of the professors of graduate programs. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors associated with burnout among faculty members of graduate stricto sensu programs. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 585 faculty members of Graduate Programs in Language Teaching and Linguistics in Brazil. METHODS: Data were collected through an online questionnaire. The outcomes were the dimensions of burnout and its related factors identified through multiple templates of logistic regression. RESULTS: Faculty members with increased chances of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization mentioned the use of medications due to labor activities. The negative influence of pace and intensity of work, thoughts about quitting the program, and having to produce three or more scientific articles were associated with higher chances of emotional exhaustion, while having to achieve nine hours per week in undergraduate programs was related to reduced personal accomplishment. Having a conjugal relationship, satisfaction with health and work, post-doctoral degree, autonomy, and good interpersonal relationships with faculty members of the program reduced the chances of emotional exhaustion. Reduced chances of depersonalization occurred among those who were satisfied with work, had good interpersonal relationships with advisees and faculty members, and received productivity funding. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic, health, and occupational factors related to the dimensions of burnout were identified.

Effectiveness of the interventions against workplace violence suffered by health and support professionals: A meta-analysis. / Efetividade das intervenções contra violência no trabalho sofrida por profissionais de saúde e apoio: metanálise.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the effectiveness of the interventions targeted at preventing and reducing the workplace violence suffered by health and support professionals. METHOD: a systematic review with meta-analysis conducted in eight databases and in the gray literature. Risk of bias was assessed by means of the Cochrane tools and certainty of the evidence, through Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. The analysis was performed in a descriptive manner and through the meta-analysis, including a heterogeneity assessment. RESULTS: a total of 11 randomized and quasi-randomized studies were eligible, of which six (54.5%) implemented individual skills, four used a multiple approach (36.4%) and one (9.1%) resorted to governmental actions. Four studies (36.4%) exerted a positive and significant effect on reducing violence. Risk of bias was classified as high or uncertain. The meta-analysis was performed with two studies that tested individual skill (intervention group) versus individual skill (comparator group), although there was no scientific evidence (95% CI: -0.41 - 0.25, p=0.64) for the violence prevention/reduction outcome. CONCLUSION: this review did not obtain a high level of evidence in the prevention or reduction of workplace violence. The reduced number of randomized trials, the lack of studies with low risk of bias and the high consistency may have been factors that hindered recommending effective interventions.

Workaholism and burnout among stricto sensu graduate professors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association of excessive work and compulsive work with the dimensions of the burnout syndrome in masters and doctoral professors of Languages, Literature, and Linguistics in Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional study carried out with 585 permanent professors of stricto sensu graduate studies in Languages, Literature, and Linguistics in Brazil. Data collection took place between February and August 2019, by an online questionnaire. The outcomes of this study were the compulsive work and excessive work dimensions of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory TM dimensions and their associated factors, identified by multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: Professors with a high level of excessive work (29.40%) had 2.75 times the chance of high emotional exhaustion and 2.08 times the chance of high depersonalization. Regarding professors with a high level of compulsive work (8.03%), they had 4.88 times the chance of high emotional exhaustion and 2.97 times the chance of high depersonalization. No association of excessive work and compulsive work with low professional fulfillment was identified. CONCLUSION: The results showed a statistically significant association of excessive work and compulsive work with high emotional exhaustion and high depersonalization, allowing managers and professors to reflect the criteria that guide their work processes, to adopt management models, institutional regulatory policies, and strategies to improve the working conditions and health of professors.

Tuberculosis among People Living on the Street and Using Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illegal Drugs: Analysis of Territories in Extreme Vulnerability and Trends in Southern Brazil.

(1) Background: Tuberculosis presents an epidemiological trend toward inequality, especially among people in social exclusion and situations of vulnerability. This study aimed to analyze territories with a concentration of people diagnosed with tuberculosis in a street situation and who partake in chronic use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. We also analyzed trends in this health condition in southern Brazil. (2) Methods: Ecological study, developed in the 399 municipalities of Paraná, southern Brazil, with all tuberculosis cases in the homeless population registered in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases between 2014 and 2018. For data analysis, we used descriptive statistics, the Prais-Winsten autoregression method for the time series, and the Getis-Ord Gi technique* for spatial analysis. (3) Results: in total, 560 cases were reported. We found a predominance of alcohol, smoking, and illicit drug users, with an increasing trend in the state and clusters of spatial risk in the East health macro-region. (4) Conclusions: We observed territories with critical levels of highly vulnerable people who use psychoactive substances and are in a street situation. The results highlight the importance of incorporating public policies of social protection for these individuals and resolutive health services that receive these cases and assist in eradicating TB.

Interaction between Work and Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical condition and a relevant risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases; it occurs as a result of lifestyle factors, e.g., work. The aim of this research was to estimate the interaction between work and MS among primary health care (PHC) nursing professionals in the state of Bahia, Brazil. A sectional multicentered study carried out in 43 municipalities in Bahia, whose study population consisted of nursing professionals. The exposure variables were occupation, professional exhaustion, and working time, and the outcome variable was MS. Interaction measures based on the additivity criteria were verified by calculating the excess risks due to the interactions and according to the proportion of cases attributed to the interactions and the synergy index. The global MS prevalence is 24.4%. There was a greater magnitude in the exposure group regarding the three investigated factors (average level occupation, professional exhaustion, and working time in PHC for more than 5 years), reaching an occurrence of 44.9% when compared to the prevalence of 13.1% in the non-exposure group (academic education, without professional burnout, and working time in PHC for up to 5 years). The study's findings showed a synergistic interaction of work aspects for MS occurrence among PHC nursing professionals.

Sleep quality and work among nursing vocational students.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze quality of sleep among students of technical courses in nursing according to the exercise of work activity. METHODS: a cross-sectional and analytical research, with 213 students from Paraná. Characterization data and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were collected between March and June 2020 and analyzed descriptively and inferentially. RESULTS: quality of poor sleep was 76.5% among those who work and 75.3% among those who do not work. Difficulty in reconciling personal and academic life (p=0.016;adjOR:3.450) and indicating anxiety due to school activities (p=0.017;adjOR:3.236) increased the chances of poor sleep quality among working students. Satisfaction with health reduced the chances of poor sleep quality, regardless of exercising work activity (p=0.002;adjOR:0.210) or not (p=0.008;adjOR:0.215). CONCLUSIONS: students who performed work activities have worse sleep quality due to anxiety and the multiple activities to be reconciled with the study.

Burnout, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality among technical-level Nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the association of the burnout syndrome with daytime sleepiness and sleep quality among technical-level Nursing students. METHOD: a cross-sectional, analytical and quantitative study, conducted with 213 students from four technical Nursing courses in a city of Paraná, Brazil. Data collection was carried out using an instrument containing characterization information, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. RESULTS: the prevalence values of the burnout syndrome, excessive daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality were 4.7%, 34.7% and 58.7%, respectively. Excessive daytime sleepiness significantly increased the chances of high emotional exhaustion (ORadj: 5.714; p<0.001) and high depersonalization (ORadj: 4.259; p<0.001). Poor sleep quality, especially sleep disorders, was associated with all dimensions of the syndrome (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: high levels of the burnout syndrome dimensions were associated with excessive daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality. Educational institutions should include sleep hygiene and psychosocial support in their student health promotion programs.

Burnout and academic satisfaction of nursing students in traditional and integrated curricula.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence of burnout and its relationship with the academic satisfaction of nursing students in traditional and integrated curricula. METHOD: Quantitative, observational, cross-sectional, and analytical descriptive study with nursing undergraduates in two public universities. The data were collected in the classroom through a characterization survey, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Nursing Student Satisfaction Scale, and analyzed through inferential and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The participants included 301 undergraduate students. The prevalence of burnout in the traditional curriculum was 30.2%; in the integrated one, this was 16.2%. Academic efficacy (p=0.004), satisfaction with curriculum and teaching (p=0.011), and professional and social integration (p<0.001) were higher for students in the integrated curriculum. Satisfaction with the educational environment was higher in the traditional curriculum (p=0.012). Burnout was statistically associated with low academic satisfaction in all dimensions. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of burnout has differed significantly among students in the analyzed curriculum models and is directly associated with academic satisfaction or lack thereof. Educators should develop preventive actions against burnout in future nurses focusing on the promotion of academic satisfaction.

Workaholism and quality of life: an integrative literature review.

This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence available in the literature that addresses the relationship between workaholism-workaholic and quality of life. This was an integrative review, whose search was conducted on the following databases: MEDLINE, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Web of Science, and Scopus. The survey found 10 primary articles published from 2011 to 2018, of which eight were published in English and two in Portuguese. Only 20% of the investigations included health care professionals in the hospital setting, of which one was conducted in Korea and the other in Brazil. It was concluded that workaholism was associated with workers' quality of life in all studies, consolidating the fact that the workaholism phenomenon has negative consequences to workers' quality of life.

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as evidências científicas disponíveis na literatura que abordem a relação workaholism-workaholic com qualidade de vida. Tratou-se de uma revisão integrativa, por meio de consulta às bases de dados MEDLINE, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Web of Science e Scopus. Encontraram-se 10 artigos primários publicados entre 2011 e 2018, dos quais oito foram publicados em inglês e dois, em português. Apenas 20% das pesquisas incluídas foram conduzidas com trabalhadores de saúde no ambiente hospitalar, sendo uma delas na Coreia e a outra, no Brasil. Conclui-se que o workaholism associou-se à qualidade de vida dos trabalhadores em todos os estudos, consolidando que o fenômeno workaholism acarreta consequências negativas à qualidade de vida dos trabalhadores.

Workplace violence among nursing professionals.

INTRODUCTION: The frequency of workplace violence has increased significantly across several countries, with short- and long-term effects on workers' health. Within the health care sector, nursing professionals are the most exposed to workplace violence, since they provide direct assistance to patients on a 24-hour basis. OBJECTIVES: To identify the types of occupational violence experienced by nursing professionals. METHODS: This was a descriptive, quantitative study of 55 nursing professionals in the emergency unit of a public hospital. Data were collected between April and June 2018 through the Questionnaire for Workplace Violence Experienced or Witnessed by Nursing Professionals. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were described using measures of central tendency and dispersion. RESULTS: A total of 49 (88.9%) participants had experienced workplace violence, with 21 (38%) suffering verbal abuse; 14 (25.4%) experiencing mobbing; 6 (11%) reporting physical violence; 5 (9.1%) suffering sexual harassment; and 3 (5.4%) reporting racial discrimination. Furthermore, 44 (90%) of these individuals reported that the incidents of violence could have been prevented. CONCLUSIONS: The types of violence observed included physical aggression, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and racial discrimination, with verbal abuse being the most commonly reported. These acts were perpetrated by patients and their families, as well as colleagues and supervisors. Violence prevention strategies should be implemented in institutions in order to provide a safe working environment.

Association between workaholism and quality of life in stricto sensu graduate professors in nursing.

OBJECTIVES: to investigate the association between workaholism and quality of life in stricto sensu graduate professors in Nursing. METHODS: a cross-sectional study developed with a total of 333 professors working in the Graduate Programs of Brazilian public universities. Data collection took place in the second semester of 2018, using an electronic form containing a characterization questionnaire, the Dutch Work Addiction Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-BREF. The data were analyzed by univariate and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: it was observed that 82.3% of the professors reported low general quality of life and 19.5%, high level of excessive work and 20.1% of compulsive work. Professors who worked compulsively and excessively were less likely to have a high quality of life in the overall, physical, psychological, social relations and environment domains (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: the high work demands that are characteristic of the stricto sensu professors' work process are directly associated with low quality of life.

Violence at work in emergency care units: nurses' experiences.

OBJECTIVES: to understand the perception of nurses in emergency care units about the violence experienced at work. METHOD: qualitative study conducted through 21 individual interviews between November and December 2018 in two emergency care units in a city in Paraná. Symbolic Interactionism was adopted as the theoretical framework and the Thematic Content Analysis technique was used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: from the thematic category experiencing psychological violence in the nurses' daily work, it was evidenced that it was related to threats against their lives, cursing, humiliation, embarrassment, attempt to defame them, as well as pressure from subordinates. In the category experiencing physical violence in the nurses' daily work, it was found that it was imposed through pushing, pulling hair, throwing objects, the presence of firearms and knives and, even, witnessing murder. CONCLUSION: nurses suffered acts of violence by external and internal people, from the emergency care units themselves. Managers, nurses and society need to look reflexively and critically at the violence that happens and implement actions to avoid them, thus providing a safe working environment for all involved and educate society in order to make the reduction of violence a priority in public policies.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in workers.

OBJECTIVES: to identify the scientific evidence on the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to workplace contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. METHODS: integrative literature review. The search for primary articles was held in October 2017 in the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (through Pubmed), Web of Science and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS). RESULTS: the 16 studies analyzed showed that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as increased blood pressure, heart rate variation, and ischemic heart disease; and respiratory disorders, such as decreased lung function, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, wheeze, coughing, pulmonary wheezing, chest tightness, effort dyspnea, and sore throat. CONCLUSIONS: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons cause deleterious effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems through mutations and cellular inflammation, being a risk to exposed individuals.

Work weaknesses and potentials: perception of mobile emergency service nurses.

OBJECTIVES: to know nurses' perceptions about their work process in a Mobile Emergency Care Service. METHODS: qualitative study conducted with 12 nurses whose speeches were submitted to Content Analysis. RESULTS: there are weaknesses related to overload of activities, numerous functions, indirect supervision, risk situations, difficulties in relationship with hospitals, lack of vehicles and professionals, inappropriate places to provide care and lack of knowledge of the population about urgent and emergency care. Potentials were associated with effective interpersonal relationships, continuing training, security when arriving at the place of care, care protocol and taste for what you do. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: the identified weaknesses need to be noted by managers and nurses. Thus, they would seek to establish actions to diminish them and maximize potentials, which could improve patient care as well as reduce occupational risks and, in turn, promote workers' well-being.

Nurses' perceptions about the influence of the labor environment in the use of psychoactive substances.

BACKGROUND: The work environment of nurses is characterized by physical and mental hazards liable to cause exhaustion and lead them to take psychoactive substances as coping strategy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate nurses' perception of the work environment influence on psychoactive substance intake. METHODS: Exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study with 14 nurses in two public hospitals. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to content analysis. RESULTS: Staff and material shortages, submission, lack of autonomy, conflict in interpersonal relationships and power struggles were the main reasons for nurses to take psychoactive substances. CONCLUSION: Nurses are exposed to stressors in the workplace, including understaffing, power struggles, interpersonal conflict and lack of autonomy, which may lead them to take legal or illegal drugs.

INTRODUÇÃO: O ambiente laboral da enfermagem é permeado por riscos físicos e psíquicos, o que contribui para o desgaste do profissional da área da saúde que acaba recorrendo às substâncias psicoativas como estratégia de defesa. OBJETIVO: Conhecer as percepções de enfermeiros sobre a influência do ambiente laboral para o uso de substâncias psicoativas. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório-descritivo de abordagem qualitativa, realizado com 14 enfermeiros de dois hospitais públicos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e submetidos a análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: A falta de recursos humanos e materiais, a submissão, a falta de autonomia, relações interpessoais conflituosas e a disputa pelo poder foram apontados como fatores que podem propiciar o uso de substâncias psicoativas. CONCLUSÃO: Os enfermeiros estão expostos a fatores estressores em seu ambiente laboral que podem ser contributivos para o uso de drogas lícitas e ilícitas, que vão desde a falta de recursos humanos até a disputa pelo poder, perpassando pelos conflitos interpessoais e a falta de autonomia profissional.