Nurses’ working environment in primary care: perceptions and repercussions on professional practice

OBJECTIVE: To understand the perceptions of primary health care nurses about their work environment and its repercussions on professional practice. METHOD: An exploratory-descriptive qualitative study conducted between September and October 2024 with 16 primary health care nurses in Manaus. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to Reflective Thematic Analysis, supported by Atlas.ti® software and grounded in the conceptual framework of Healthy Work Environment. RESULTS: The analysis identified five thematic axes: work environment and its conditions, which includes overload, inadequate infrastructure, and risks; dynamics of interpersonal relationships, covering leadership, conflicts, and communication; motivation and job satisfaction, encompassing recognition, purpose, and autonomy; worker health and well-being, which highlighted the absence of institutional policies and insufficient training regarding needs; and perception and experience of a healthy environment, including physical structure, organizational bonding, and psychosocial factors. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: For a healthy environment, primary care nurses need organizational support and professional recognition. Although autonomy is limited by barriers, factors such as team collaboration and recognition mitigate the effects of work overload and poor infrastructure. Local actions such as safety protocols, psychosocial support, and reorganization of schedules stand out as strategies to strengthen the work environment.