The aim of this research was to identify the reasons for satisfaction and dissatisfaction among oncology nursing professionals working in Brazil and Portugal. A descriptive and qualitative study was conducted with nine Portuguese nurses and 17 Brazilian nursing professionals, using a questionnaire and interview, which were analyzed according to Bardin's proposition. Satisfaction, in both scenarios, was associated, above all, to the patient and the treatment process, and the bond established between the professional and the individual demanding care. Dissatisfaction resulted primarily from the extensive exposure to high workload and to the deaths of oncology patients. The importance of considering the subjectivity that permeates the work scenario is highlighted, which can have vast and, sometimes, costly implications.
Work; Job satisfaction; Oncology nursing; Nursing