SAÚDE MENTAL DOS ENFERMEIROS DE TERAPIA INTENSIVA EM CUIDADOS DE FIM DE VIDA: REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA

Abstract

This final course project analyzes the mental health of nurses working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), especially in the management of terminally ill patients. The ICU context is marked by high technological complexity, frequent ethical dilemmas, and constant exposure to death, factors that, combined with exhausting shifts and overload, contribute to occupational suffering and the development of Burnout Syndrome. The central objective was to analyze scientific evidence on how the management of critically ill patients impacts the mental health of these professionals, identifying coping strategies and recommendations to promote well-being. The methodology adopted is an integrative literature review, focusing on the mental health of nurses in the intensive care unit. Data collection was carried out through searches in the PubMed, BVS, Google Scholar, and LILACS databases, including articles available in full, in Portuguese and English, published between 2021 and 2026. For the construction of the search strategy, controlled health descriptors (DeCS) were used, such as: Mental Health, Nursing, and ICU, combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR. The results show that emotional exhaustion, understaffing, and lack of institutional support exacerbate the suffering of these workers. As coping strategies, the organization of routines, the practice of mindfulness, support among colleagues, and institutional support stand out. It is concluded that the promotion of mental health in nursing is not only an individual responsibility through self-care, but requires collective actions, public policies of appreciation, and structural improvements in hospital environments to ensure the quality of care and the protection of those who care.