Assessment of work ability of health professionals in the mobile emergency unit

Ergonomics is the study of a workplace and the worker. Its aim is to better adapt the workplace to man by preserving the body for short and long term work. This helps to adjust and improve functionality, thus preserving the body for short and long term work. It was through the observation of SAMU's (Mobile Emergency Unit) professional's helpers that the interest to evaluate these individuals arose. In addition, the aim of this research is to investigate the work ability of health professionals that work for SAMU/JP. The population was composed of 97 health professionals who currently work for SAMU/JP. A sociodemographic questionnaire was used as data collection instrument and it was validated by the index of the Work Ability (WAI). The research took place in 2010, in the headquarters of SAMU, in the city of João Pessoa, state of Paraíba - Brazil. The data analysis was carried out by simple descriptive statistics followed by comparison of the results with the pertinent literature. The quantity of daily sleeping hours, the levels of satisfaction in the job and the number of diagnosed diseases were among the most worrying factors. In spite of this, the health professionals obtained a work ability average considered to be "good".