Relação trabalho e saúde de maqueiros atuantes em um hospital de emergência

Abstract

The work of stretcher bearers in emergency hospitals consists of driving, transporting and moving patients. These workers are exposed to various physical, chemical, biological and ergonomic risks in the performance of their work. This dissertation deals with research carried out in a public emergency hospital in a city in the state of Paraíba, with the objective of analyze the experiences of suffering and pleasure in the work environment of these professionals, based on the theoretical assumptions of Psychodynamics of Work and the contributions of Activity Ergonomics. It is a qualitative research, carried out with 10 stretcher bearers, in which a sociodemographic and labor questionnaire was used, an interview with a semi-structured script and four general observations of work activities. The field findings were treated in the light of the thematic content analysis. It was found that the complaints of the stretcher bearers refer to the long workday, the lack of necessary rest breaks and, mainly, to the insufficient number of stretcher bearers to perform the service. There was an inadequacy in the use of PPE by the stretcher bearers, in addition to ergonomic variability and precariousness in materials and work instruments. In addition, it was found that the stretcher bearers do not feel recognized by their hierarchical superiors; they present complaints of dissatisfaction with the salaries received and with the instability in the work bond with the institution, which culminates in experiences of suffering by workers. On the other hand, it was observed that the experiences of pleasure, mobilized at work, were associated with the cooperative relationships between the collective of stretcher bearers and the gratitude received from patients and companions during the work. Thus, it was evidenced that the working conditions and the injunction of the work organization favor the illness more than the health of the investigated professionals. Even if the stretcher bearers find pleasant situations at work and seek ways of coping with the situations of suffering experienced, they cause great physical and mental exhaustion. Finally, it is understood the need to encourage further research about the work of these health professionals, considering, above all, the scarcity of specific studies on the working conditions of the stretcher bearers in the scientific literature.