Psychosocial working conditions in a long-term care and maintenance unit

Abstract

The present study aims to analyse the psychosocial working conditions of nurses, higher technicians, therapists and assistants in a medium-term and maintenance continuous care unit. Given the small number of technicians and therapists in the sample, and in order to safeguard the confidentiality and identity of the participants, this group of professionals was evaluated together with the group of nurses. Thus, the study considers a group with professionals with higher technical training and another group with health care assistants. The methodological approach was predominantly quantitative, in which the workers' perception collection was based on a questionnaire to characterize the perceived psychosocial working conditions. The collected data allowed concluding the existence, in global terms, of a positive psychosocial work environment. Most risk factors reveal moderate or low exposure. The dimensions that assume more potential for risk to the health of workers are, in technical personnel, cognitive and emotional demands, and in assistants, emotional demands and influence at work.