OBJECTIVE: To determine the working conditions in the emergency sector in the Hospital da Restauracao, from the perception of nurses working in that sector. METHODS: A case study, which used a qualitative and quantitative approach, with triangulation of methods. Data collection was done through open interviews, closed questionnaires and observation. 23 nurses were interviewed. To analyze the data was used the condensation of meanings and the program Excel-version 2003. RESULTS: High number of patients and lack of security for the development of the work were the items most criticized by those interviewed, and confirmed by observation. From the studied group, 47.8% worked in emergency for more than 16 consecutive years, most of them female in the age range of 41 to 50 years. CONCLUSION: The prevailing perceptions were: poor working conditions, unsatisfactory wages, unhealthy and insecure environment, leading to a feeling of discouragement that influences the quality of care.
Emergency hospitals; Emergency service nursing; Working conditions
