Gestão do trabalho nas unidades de pronto atendimento: Estratégias governamentais e perfil dos profissionais de saúde

Abstract

In the late 2000s, the expansion of Emergency Care Units (UPAs) in Brazil’s policy for provision of ur­gent healthcare included hiring a large contingent of health professionals. This article analyzes government strategies for workforce management and the profile of these professionals in the UPAs in the State of Rio de Janeiro, which has the largest number of such units in the country. The methods included document analysis, interviews with managers, and visits to the UPAs and interviews with coordinators, physicians, and nurses. The results showed that the workforce management strategies varied over time and according to adminis­trative sphere (state versus municipal). The so-called Social Organizations became the main hirers of health professionals in the UPAs, since they allowed manage­ment flexibility. However, there were problems with selection and stability, with a predominance of young professionals with limited experience and high physi­cian turnover. Instability associated with outsourced hiring reinforced the view of work at the UPA as a tem­porary job.