Condições de trabalho dos enfermeiros na atenção primária à saúde no município de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Introduction: The working conditions of nurses in Primary Health Care (PHC) constitute a structuring element of professional practice, directly influencing the development of professional practices, the quality of care offered to the population, and the sustainability of the Unified Health System (SUS). In PHC, characterized by continuous, territorialized, and relational care, the objective and organizational working conditions play a central role in organizing the care, educational, and administrative actions carried out by nurses. General objective: To understand nurses’ perceptions of their working conditions in PHC and the implications of these conditions for the development of their professional practices in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study conducted with ten nurses working in PHC. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews, recorded and fully transcribed. The analysis was carried out with the support of the IRAMUTEQ software, articulated with thematic Content Analysis. Results: The analysis revealed three analytical categories: (1) challenges, obstacles, and strengths in working conditions; (2) working conditions: understanding and ideal conditions; and (3) activities developed by nurses in PHC. The results showed that nurses understand their working conditions based on the intervening factors experienced in daily work, such as insufficient human resources, work overload, infrastructure limitations, scarcity of supplies, and weaknesses in work organization and management. However, in some scenarios strengths are also evident, such as team commitment, physical structure, computerization, and social participation, present in some PHC units, which contribute to the continuity of actions and to coping with the limitations experienced in the daily routine of the service. These conditions directly affect the development of their work practices, which requires continuous adaptations to ensure the effectiveness of care. Final considerations: It is concluded that the precariousness of working conditions interferes with professional practice, limits the broader development of nursing practices, and places pressure on essential attributes of PHC. Strengthening PHC requires structural and organizational interventions aimed at providing and valuing the workforce, improving management, and ensuring adequate conditions for care, recognizing the nurse as a central agent in the production of health.