Analysis of the Work Environment and Burnout among Nurses, Technicians and Nursing Assistants in Brazilian Institutions

Abstract

In addition to causing damage to the health of patients, the Covid 19 pandemic has brought a greater burden to health systems directly affecting professionals, leading many to physical and emotional exhaustion. The present study aims to demonstrate the perceptions of the professional practice environment of nurses, technicians and nursing assistants through the use of the Environment of Professional Practice research (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index – PES/NWI) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), in addition to comparing them. The researches were applied in private and public administrative institutions in four Brazilian states, these being Amazonas (AM), Minas Gerais (MG), Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ) that are part of the IQG Nursing Certification, from December 2020 to June 2021, with the participation of 1484 professionals from the six invited institutions. The nursing team-physician relationships are identified as the most favorable characteristics of the work environment in the PES/NWI, and the foundations for nursing practice, however, identified as unfavorable to the participation of nursing in hospital affairs and adequacy of personnel and resources. Regarding the dimensions of the MBI research the best results are related to emotional exhaustion. However, the rates of low professional fulfillment were 69.1%. There are impacts on burnout related to emotional exhaustion and professional fulfillment related to the work environment, more frequently in the group of nurses. The analysis showed differences in the perceptions of nurses when compared to nursing assistants and technicians, with attention to inter-professional working relationships and the availability of resources. Therefore, the importance of guiding actions aimed at the management of these health resources is portrayed, with attention to the risk to the quality and safety of care, but also to the health of these professionals. The role of the leader, represented by the nurse, needs more attention and preparation, given its potential in guiding the best practices, professional engagement and promoting changes in the environment of professional practice.