Quality of life: nurses’ perceptions under a qualitative approach

Abstract

This investigation aimed to verify the meaning of University Hospital Lauro Wanderley (HULW) nurses’ quality of life; to verify nurses’ perception in terms of quality of life and to identify factors that are interfering with those professionals’ quality of life. This exploratory-descriptive study with a qualitative approach took place at the HULW, in João Pessoa, Paraíba/Brazil. The sample was composed of 12 hospital nurses. The data was collected during March of 2006, after being approved by the Ethics Committee. A questionnaire containing the subjects’ identification and data related to their perception about quality of life was used, and for the data analysis the Discourse of the Collective Subjecttechnique was used. That made possible the obtainment of the following results and the central ideas formation: a state of harmony, well-balanced life on bio-psychological-socio-spiritual aspects; self-respect; very bad quality of life due to accumulation of activities; good quality of life for being able to conciliate many necessary things for that matter; financial factors, work load, job market demands interfering in personal relationships; daily difficulties. It was possible to conclude that it is necessary, in the nurses’ practice, to find a balance between working conditions and personal life, in order to have a better quality of life.