The Psychological Contract for Healthcare Workers

Abstract Healthcare workers are more vulnerable to burnout due to the fact that they often face stressful situations that involve high levels of risk and emotional involvement, especially if they are exacerbated by patients they provide care to. The activity in the medical field is not only physically demanding, but also socio-emotional, being necessary a better understanding of the socio-emotional aspects present in the employment relationship. The health sector is facing continuous changes and reforms, periods of uncertainty when the fulfilment of the psychological contract is less probable. We propose the description of a relational model between the psychological contract with work engagement, burnout, organizational support and the intention to leave the organization for the medical staff. The results show that organizational support influences work-related outcomes and emphasizes the importance of examining organizational contexts, such as contract status, to understand the influence of support on work involvement and burnout.