Labor conditions and the meanings of nursing work in Barcelona / Condições de trabalho e significados do trabalho em enfermagem em Barcelona / Condiciones laborales y significados del trabajo en enfermería en Barcelona

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the relationship between the quantitative assessment of working conditions and the qualitative perception of one's own work experience. Method: a sample of 1,760 nursing professionals from Barcelona answered a questionnaire assessing their working conditions and summarized their own current work experience in five key words. Results: the textual corpus of the meanings of nursing work included 8043 lexical forms, which were categorized and codified. Respondents who rated their work conditions the highest expressed a vision of their work in terms of autonomy, achievement and well-being, while those who rated their work conditions the lowest talked mostly of exhaustion, depersonalization and negative climate. A correspondence analysis showed a close relationship between the quantitative assessments of working conditions and the verbal codes of the meaning of work. Conclusions: the meanings given to work were not only consistent with the numerical evaluations of the working conditions but also made them more understandable. The information obtained poses challenges for reflection and indicates ways to promote the positive aspects and prevent the negative conditions of nursing work.

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar a relação entre a avaliação quantitativa das condições de trabalho e a percepção qualitativa da própria experiência de trabalho. Método: uma amostra de 1760 profissionais de enfermagem de Barcelona respondeu a um questionário para avaliação de suas condições de trabalho e resumiu em cinco palavras-chave sua própria experiência de trabalho atual. Resultados: o corpus textual dos significados do trabalho incluiu 8043 formas lexicais, que foram categorizadas e codificadas. As pessoas pesquisadas que classificaram mais alto as suas condições de trabalho expressaram uma visão do trabalho em termos de autonomia, realização e bem-estar, ao passo que as que o classificavam mais baixo falavam principalmente de exaustão, despersonalização e clima negativo. Uma análise de correspondências evidenciou uma estreita relação entre as avaliações quantitativas das condições de trabalho e os códigos verbais de significado do trabalho. Conclusões: os significados dados ao trabalho foram não só coerentes com as avaliações numéricas das condições de trabalho, mas também as tornaram mais compreensíveis. A informação obtida coloca desafios para reflexão e aponta caminhos para enfrentar a promoção dos aspectos positivos e a prevenção dos negativos das condições do trabalho de enfermagem.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar la relación entre la valoración cuantitativa de las condiciones de trabajo y la percepción cualitativa de la propia experiencia laboral. Método: una muestra de 1.760 profesionales de enfermería de Barcelona respondió a un cuestionario de valoración de sus condiciones de trabajo y resumió en cinco palabras clave su propia experiencia laboral actual. Resultados: el corpus textual de significados del trabajo incluyó 8.043 formas léxicas, que fueron categorizadas y codificadas. Las personas encuestadas que valoraron más alto sus condiciones de trabajo expresaron una visión de su trabajo en términos de autonomía, realización y bienestar; mientras que quienes las valoraron más bajo hablaron sobre todo de agotamiento, despersonalización y clima negativo. Un análisis de correspondencias evidenció una estrecha relación entre las valoraciones cuantitativas de las condiciones laborales y los códigos verbales de significado del trabajo. Conclusiones: los significados dados al trabajo fueron no solo coherentes con las valoraciones numéricas de las condiciones laborales, sino que además las hicieron más comprensibles. La información obtenida plantea desafíos para la reflexión y señala caminos orientados a la promoción de los aspectos positivos y a la prevención de los negativos de las condiciones del trabajo de enfermería.

Work, malaise, and well-being in Spanish and Latin-American doctors

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the relations between the meanings of working and the levels of doctors work well-being in the context of their working conditions. METHOD The research combined the qualitative methodology of textual analysis and the quantitative one of correspondence factor analysis. A convenience, intentional, and stratified sample composed of 305 Spanish and Latin American doctors completed an extensive questionnaire on the topics of the research. RESULTS The general meaning of working for the group located in the quartile of malaise included perceptions of discomfort, frustration, and exhaustion. However, those showing higher levels of well-being, located on the opposite quartile, associated their working experience with good conditions and the development of their professional and personal competences. CONCLUSIONS The study provides empirical evidence of the relationship between contextual factors and the meanings of working for participants with higher levels of malaise, and of the importance granted both to intrinsic and extrinsic factors by those who scored highest on well-being.

RESUMEN OBJETIVO Analizar las relaciones entre los significados del trabajo y los niveles de bienestar laboral de los profesionales de la medicina en el contexto de sus condiciones de trabajo. MÉTODOS La investigación combinó la metodología cualitativa del análisis textual, y la cuantitativa del análisis factorial de correspondencias. Una muestra de conveniencia, intencional y estratificada, compuesta por 305 profesionales de la medicina de España y de América Latina, respondió un amplio cuestionario sobre los temas de la investigación. RESULTADOS El significado general del trabajo del grupo situado en el cuartil de malestar se configuró en torno a percepciones de incomodidad, frustración y agotamiento. En cambio, quienes expresaron mayores niveles de bienestar, ubicados en el cuartil opuesto, asociaron su experiencia laboral a buenas condiciones de trabajo y al desarrollo de las propias competencias profesionales y personales. CONCLUSIONES El estudio aporta evidencia empírica acerca de la relación entre factores contextuales y significados de trabajo, en los participantes con mayores niveles de malestar; también, sobre la importancia dada a factores tanto intrínsecos como extrínsecos por quienes obtuvieron mayores puntuaciones en bienestar.

La juventud NINI, un agujero negro psicosocial / The NEET youth, a psychosocial black hole

El objetivo general de este texto consiste en describir y discutir, a partir de una revisión de literatura, el panorama actual del fenómeno "NiNi", el de las personas jóvenes que ni trabajan, ni estudian, ni tampoco realizan actividad alguna relacionada con la formación ocupacional, atendiendo especialmente a su desarrollo europeo, y particularmente español, articulando cinco criterios de exposición principales: (a) el contexto histórico y cultural de su emergencia y expansión, (b) su vinculación con metamorfosis y megatendencias socioeconómicas como la crisis de la sociedad salarial del pleno empleo estable, la desregulación de las relaciones laborales y la precarización de las condiciones de trabajo en el marco de la nueva gestión flexible del mismo, que determinan la transición hacia el posfordismo, (c) la información empírica acumulada sobre su tipología y prevalencia, (d) los discursos sociopolíticos y las lecturas teóricas relativos a sus causas y consecuencias y las consiguientes propuestas de afrontamiento (e) la reflexión y discusión sobre sus implicaciones teóricas y prácticas en cuanto a la necesidad de repensar constructos como juventud, ciudadanía, transición de la escuela al trabajo u orientación para el empleo...

The overall objective of this paper is to describe and discuss, based on a literature review, the current situation of the "NEET" phenomenon, concerning young people Not in Employment, Education or Training, with special attention to its European development, particularly in Spain, articulating five major criteria of exposure: (a) the historical and cultural context of its emergence and expansion, (b) its relationship with socioeconomic megatrends and metamorphosis, such as the crisis of the full stable employment wage society, the deregulation of labor relations, and the rise of precarious working conditions under its new flexible management, which determine the transition to post-Fordism, (c) empirical information accumulated on its typology and prevalence, (d) the socio-political discourses and theoretical readings concerning its causes and consequences, and subsequent proposals for coping, and (e) reflection and discussion of its theoretical and practical implications in terms of the need to rethink constructs such as youth, citizenship, transition from school to work, or employment guidance...

Malestar psicofisiológico en profesionales de la salud pública de la Región Metropolitana / Psychophysiological distress among health care professionals working in Chilean public hospitals

Background: The public health reform in Chile resulted in changes in working conditions and organization of health centers. Aim: To examine the presence of psychophysiological symptoms in professionals of public hospitals in the Metropolitan Region and their association with current working conditions. Material and Methods: A questionnaire of quality of working life was applied to a sample of 80 physicians and 110 nurses. The questionnaire considers scales and open questions. Results: Nurses had a higher level of discomfort than physicians (p < 0.01) and had significantly higher scores for emotional distress, physical fatigue, digestive disorders, headache, insomnia, back pain and muscle tension (p < 0.01). There were statistically significant negative correlations between psychophysiological distress and working conditions (r = -0.418), social climate (r = -0.395), satisfaction with the organization (r = -0.337) and psychosocial well-being (r = -0.267). A regression model showed that 21 percent of the variance in psychophysiological distress was explained by working conditions, psychosocial well-being and adaptation to the organization. Conclusions: There is a relationship between the high prevalence of psychophysiological symptoms and bad working conditions of public health professionals.

Un instrumento para la evaluación de las condiciones psicosociales de trabajo / A tool to assess psychosocial conditions at work

Breve presentación de un estudio realizado en base a un cuestionario para evaluar la dimensión psicosocial de las condiciones de trabajo en organizaciones de servicio a personas.

Situações de assédio moral a trabalhadores anistiados políticos de uma empresa pública / Moral harassment of amnestied professionals at a public organization

Este estudo investiga a influência do contexto de trabalho nas situações de assédio moral, em categoria profissional vinculada a uma empresa pública. Foi realizado em parceria com a Associação Nacional de Anistiados Políticos da Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos – ANAPECT, que se articulou com trabalhadores anistiados que participaram da pesquisa. O referencial teórico é a psicodinâmica do trabalho e o enfoque psicossocial. Foi realizada uma entrevista coletiva com quatro trabalhadores voluntários, cujos relatos foram gravados e submetidos à análise de conteúdo. Os resultados evidenciam características da organização do trabalho, relativas às relações de dominação, no contexto organizacional, que permitem identificar situações de assédio moral. Futuros estudos são sugeridos para aprofundar o debate sobre essas questões.

This study investigates the influence of the work context on moral harassment situations of professionals in public organizations. It was accomplished in partnership with the Associação Nacional de Anistiados Políticos da Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos – ANAPECT (National Association of Political Amnestied of the Brazilian Post Office), which provided the articulation with amnestied workers taking part in the research. Work psychodynamics and the psychosocial focus were used as a theoretical basis. A collective interview was carried out with four volunteer workers linked to ANAPECT, whose verbal reports were recorded and submitted to content analysis. Results point out characteristics of the work organization related to the relation of dominance in the organizational context, allowing the identification of moral harassment situations. Further studies are suggested to confirm the conclusions.