Risks of illness of nursing professors working in in post-graduation courses

To identify the risk of illness related to the work context of nurse professors of stricto sensu nursing post-graduation programs of public institutions.

Method

Mixed study (convergent and parallel) carried out in federal universities in Rio Grande do Sul, with nurse professors, from November 2015 to October 2016. As data collection techniques, the Work Context Assessment Scale and a semi-structured interview were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Results

For the quantitative data, it was identified that all factors on the scale were assessed as critical for the risk of illness. The reports complement the quantitative data, and point to work overload, competitiveness, and inadequate infrastructure.

Conclusion

This study offers subsidies for the implementation of actions aimed at the health of nursing professors and helps in the understanding of the work context, which presents risks for illness.

Keywords
Occupational health. Faculty; Nursing. Education; higher. Occupational risks. Working environment. Nursing

Institution	Total professors	Eligible professors	Participants in the quantitative phase	Participants in the qualitative phase
A	16	14	14	6
B	40	32	25	7
C	18	12	11	7
TOTAL	74	58	50	20

Work Context Assessment Scale (EACT)	Mean	SD	Minimum	Maximum	Cronbach's alpha	Risk rating
Organization of work	3.46	0.54	1.55	4.33	0.784	Critical
Social-professional relations	2.79	0.68	1.40	4.60	0.886	Critical
Work conditions	3.46	0.87	1.10	5.00	0.953	Critical

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Escola de Enfermagem Rua São Manoel, 963 -Campus da Saúde , 90.620-110 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil, Fone: (55 51) 3308-5242 / Fax: (55 51) 3308-5436 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil
E-mail: revista@enf.ufrgs.br

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[1] Corresponding author
Susan Bublitz Email: susan.bublitz@gmail.com

Organization of work (μ=3.46, SD=0.54)	Item	Mean	SD	CR
	1. The pace of work is excessive	4.14	0.775	Severe
	2. Tasks are accomplished with deadline pressure	4.00	0.800	Severe
	3. There is a strong demand for results	4.12	1.013	Severe
	4. The rules for performing tasks are strict	3.46	1.024	Critical
	5. Performance is monitored	3.12	1.177	Critical
	6. The number of people is insufficient to carry out the tasks	3.78	0.965	Severe
	7. The expected results are unrealistic	2.84	1.027	Critical
	8. There is a division between those who plan and who execute	3.16	0.880	Critical
	9. Tasks are repetitive	2.88	0.816	Critical
	10. There is no time to take breaks from work	3.44	0.941	Critical
	11. The tasks performed are discontinued	3.18	0.973	Critical

Social-professional relations (μ=2.79, SD=0.68)	Item	Mean	SD	CR
	12. Tasks are not clearly defined	2.54	0.984	Critical
	13. Autonomy does not exist	2.26	0.890	Satisfactory
	14. The distribution of tasks is unfair	2.70	0.964	Critical
	15. Employees are excluded from decisions	2.62	1.037	Critical
	16. There are difficulties in communication between managers and subordinates	2.38	0.998	Critical
	17. There are professional disputes in the workplace	3.88	0.840	Severe
	18. Lack of integration in the work environment	3.64	0.794	Critical
	19. Communication between employees is unsatisfactory	3.02	0.948	Critical
	20. There is a lack of management support for my professional development	2.32	1.240	Critical
	21. The information I need to perform my tasks is difficult to access	2.60	0.938	Critical

Work conditions (μ=3.46, SD=0.87)	Item	Mean	SD	CR
	22. Working conditions are precarious	3.66	0.972	Critical
	23. The physical environment is uncomfortable	3.70	0.985	Severe
	24. There is a lot of noise in the work environment	3.64	1.109	Critical
	25. The furniture in the workplace is inadequate	3.62	1.164	Critical
	26. Work tools are insufficient to carry out the tasks	3.46	0.943	Critical
	27. The job position is inadequate to carry out the tasks	3.42	1.115	Critical
	28. The equipment needed to perform the tasks is precarious	3.48	1.024	Critical
	29. The physical space to perform the work is inadequate	3.78	1.006	Severe
	30. Working conditions pose risks to the safety of people	2.60	1.000	Critical
	31. Consumables are insufficient	3.32	1.009	Critical