Presenteeism in nurses: comparative study of Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian nurses

AIM: To compare presenteeism levels among three samples of nurses and to identify the relationship between presenteeism and sociodemographic and professional characteristics. BACKGROUND: Presenteeism (going to work ill) is a phenomenon studied from different perspectives, and it has become especially important during the current COVID-19 outbreak; its connection to high healthcare costs, patient safety breaches and negative nurse well-being has been proved. INTRODUCTION: The nursing profession is particularly associated with caring for the culture of teamwork, loyalty to colleagues and professional identity. This condition enhances the 'super nurse phenomenon', even though nurses do not feel physically and psychologically able to work. METHODS: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted in three different country contexts: Oviedo (Spain), Porto (Portugal) and São Paulo (Brazil). Nurses performing functions in hospitals and primary health care were enrolled. Informed consent and data collection questionnaires were hand delivered. The Stanford Presenteeism Scale-6 was applied. RESULTS: A total of 659 nurses participated. Portuguese nurses showed greater prevalence of presenteeism, followed by Brazilian and Spanish nurses. Younger nurses with less professional experience presented lower levels of presenteeism but greater psychological commitment. Male participants showed lower capacity to complete work when ill than female participants. CONCLUSIONS: Age and length of professional experience proved to be significant predictors of total presenteeism, although only professional experience revealed statistical significance in the adjusted model. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: The knowledge of this phenomenon among nurses highlights the need for the development of strategies in the curriculum of nursing students and organizations. Resilience and ergonomic training should be applied in the training programmes of the students and reinforced by the health centre managers. It is essential that healthcare systems design worksite wellness programmes that pursue greater physical and mental well-being for healthcare professionals.