The profile of the nurses working the INAMPS (National Health Service) outpatent centers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to outline a profile of the nurses working within the INAMPS (National Health Service) outpatients centers in Brasil. Its purpose was to offer some assistance on the understanding of the subject, to the nursing educational system, to, the employers of the product of that system, to the nurses' associations and to the nurses themselves. In the pursue of the objetive, the author depicted: personal and professional traits of the nurses; job satisfaction and perceived support from the administration; the most frequent nurses activities performed. It also stablished the relations between nurses traits, jab satisfaction, perceived support, and activities performed. Data was collected from March to December 1984. The questionnaires were sent to the universe of working nurses in the outpatient centers - 1158 nurses. 927 (80,1%) answers were obtained. The population studied represented: 94,3% female, majority married; 30 to 40 years old, year of graduation and year of admission in the INAMPS in the 70's. Gross results were: job satisfaction 83,6%, perception of support from administration 752%, prepared as specialists 71,3%, and frequence to continuing educational programs 84,1%. Mains activities performed by nurses in decreasing order: supervision of nursing personnel 39,3%, direct nursing care 36,7%, teaching of patients and families 21,7%, administrative - functions 17,9%, and inservice training of personnel 3,6%. No relation was demonstrated between graduate preparation and job satisfaction nor perceived support from administration. Positive relation was found between educative activities and job satisfaction, and between supervision of nursing personnel or performance of administrative functions and perception of support from the administration.