Atendimento ao usuário: fator contributivo para o sofrimento no trabalho em saúde?

In considering the issue of suffering that health care workers undergo, one must connect it with attendance to health care service users when this aspect of the work process in public health care is most emphasized. As one can learn from Botazzo’s (1999) studies there are clearly conflicting needs and views between the users and the users and the working people involved concerning health care. Campos (1997a) also states these different social roles which often cause conflicts of interests. This study is a qualitative approach in which interviews are analyzed by a content analysis method. The subjects of this study were 17 female workers in the municipal health service. The data obtained were compatible with theoretical references that were used, and showed conflicting interests between attendants and users. The precarious state of this service brings about suffering situations to workers since, because of unprovided means, they have to cope with the situations with means at hand to minimally attend the increasing requirements of the population, often regarded as improper by the public servants. Also, there is a great influence of the environment where these relations between users and attendants take place. So it is vital to find a mediating answer to these conflicts pattern to a preventive and self-promoting pattern of public health care. Word-keys – Suffering in the health's work. Assistence to users. Conflicts.