MIGRAÇÃO E SAÚDE: ADAPTAÇÃO, ESTRESSE, SAÚDE E BEM-ESTAR DE ENFERMEIROS PORTUGUESES MIGRANTES NA EUROPA

Abstract

Introduction: The migration of Portuguese nurses to other European countries began to increase after the financial crisis in Portugal in 2008. Health and well-being are vital characteristics of migration, but there are few studies on this subject and notably on Portuguese nurses. Objective: To analyze the adaptation of Portuguese nurses to host countries and new workplaces, the stress factors experienced, their coping strategies and resources, as well as their health and well-being. Methodology: In this study, a mixed methodology was used, consisting of semi-structured interviews with 19 immigrants and the Brief-COPE inventory. The interviews were analyzed according to the thematic analysis method. Results: The stressors experienced were language, climate, discrimination, separation from family and pregnancy and motherhood without family support, highlighting language skills as the greatest difficulty experienced. At work, the biggest stressor was the 12-hour workday. These nurses used coping strategies focused on the problem and emotion, with a predominance of the latter. Conclusions: The majority of participants surveyed positively evaluated their health and well-being, attributing this situation to a better economic and professional level, as well as the quality of life achieved.