Quality of life and resilience in nursing staff working in hospitalization units and emergency departments

Background and objective: Advances in research on quality of life (QOL) may result in changes in healthcare practices. Despite being exposed to adverse situations, many healthcare professionals develop strategies and resources to stay healthy, the resilience (R), which can make them satisfied with the work environment and to significantly promote biopsychosocial well-being. The present study aims to assess QOL and R among nursing assistants, nursing technicians, and nurses working in hospitalization units and emergency departments and to perform a comparative analysis of QOL and R according to sociodemographic and professional variables. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study. Data collection instruments (DCIs) consisted in a Questionnaire of Sociodemographic and Professional-related Variables (QSPV), the WHOQOL-Bref, and the Wagnild& Young Resilience Scale. The exploratory analysis of the data included mean, median, standard deviation, and variation for continuous variables, number and proportion for categorical variables, asymmetry, kurtosis, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient for the continuous and/or ordinal variables. Results: 203 participants, QOL scores indicate dissatisfaction with QOL, with no difference between categories, but high rates of R. Inferential analysis of QOL scores showed a significant difference in terms of age (higher in older professionals), sex (higher in men), and family income (higher for the range between BRL 1001 and 3000). The higher the R, the higher the QOL scores. Conclusions: The centrality work occupies in the lives of all categories of nursing professionals demonstrates the low scores in all domains of QOL. Resilience improves QOL.