[Influence of work shift and chronotype on the quality of life of nursing professionals].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of shift work and chronotype on the quality of life of nursing staff at a university hospital in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is an analytical and cross-sectional study, developed with a sample of 101 nursing professionals working in clinical and surgical units for adult inpatients. Chronotype and quality of life were evaluated using the Horne and Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the WHOQOL-Brief None of the WHOQOL-Brief domains demonstrated any association with shift work (p > 0.05). It was observed however, that individuals with a certain chronotype agreeing with the shift in which they work (67.01 +/- 10.8) showed higher means than those disagreeing (59.16 +/- 14.67) on the WHOQOL field that assesses the environment (p = 0.03). Thus, it is suggested that agreement with the chronobiological shift might be a factor determining quality of life for the nursing staff