# Nurses’ experiences of presenteeist behaviors in the hospital

## TL;DR

This study explores how nurses in hospitals experience presenteeism, where they work while unwell due to work demands and financial pressures.

## Contribution

The study provides new qualitative insights into nurses' experiences of presenteeism using Dejours' Psychodynamics of Work framework.

## Key findings

- Nurses recognized presenteeist behaviors despite not knowing the term, driven by professional commitment and financial issues.
- Presenteeism manifested through physical and psychological distress, such as musculoskeletal pain and burnout.
- Hospital work organization, marked by excessive demands, negatively affects task performance and care quality.

## Abstract

to understand nurses’ experiences regarding presenteeist behaviors in the hospital.

a single holistic descriptive case study with a qualitative approach, with 32 nurses. Data were collected in three stages, through vignettes and in-depth individual interviews, audio-recorded and submitted to thematic analysis. The theoretical framework adopted was Christophe Dejours’ Psychodynamics of Work.

three topics emerged, revealing that the concept of presenteeism was not known among participants, but they recognized themselves experiencing presenteeist behaviors due to physical or psychological problems that, in some way, affected quality of work. The main reasons for presenteeist behavior were professional commitment and financial issues.

presenteeism manifested itself through physical distress, such as musculoskeletal pain, and psychological distress, such as burnout, arising from hospital work organization, seen as exhausting, marked by excessive demands, which can affect task performance, worker health and the quality of care provided.

conhecer as vivências de enfermeiros sobre comportamentos presenteístas no hospital.

estudo de caso único holístico descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, com 32 enfermeiros. Os dados foram coletados em três etapas, por meio de vinhetas e entrevistas individuais em profundidade, audiogravadas e submetidas à análise temática. Adotou-se, por referencial teórico, a Psicodinâmica do Trabalho de Christophe Dejours.

três temas emergiram, revelando que o conceito de presenteísmo não era conhecido entre os participantes, porém eles se reconheceram vivenciando comportamentos presenteístas, devido a problemas físicos ou psicológicos que, de alguma forma, afetavam a qualidade do trabalho. As principais razões do comportamento presenteísta foram compromisso profissional e questões financeiras.

o presenteísmo se manifestou por sofrimentos físicos, como dores osteomusculares, e psíquicos, como estafa, advindos da organização do trabalho hospitalar, visto como desgastante, marcado por excesso de demandas, podendo afetar desempenho das tarefas, saúde do trabalhador e qualidade dos cuidados prestados.