OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN NURSES WORKING IN PALLIATIVE CARE

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational stress among nurses working in palliative care represents an important worker health issue resulting from continuous exposure to suffering, terminal illness and intense emotional demands. Objective: To analyze factors associated with occupational stress among nurses working in palliative care, considering its repercussions on professional practice and psychophysical health. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review conducted in the SciELO, LILACS, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The descriptors “occupational stress”, “palliative care”, “worker health”, “nurse” and “work-related suffering” were combined using the Boolean operators AND and OR. Studies published between 2021 and 2026 in Portuguese, English and Spanish were included, resulting in a final sample of 10 articles. Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that frequent exposure to death, patient and family suffering, work overload, institutional weaknesses and insufficient professional training are the main factors associated with occupational stress. Consequences included anxiety, emotional exhaustion, moral distress, professional burnout and impairment in care quality. Coping strategies identified included self-care, institutional support, continuing education, psychological support, spirituality and strengthening interpersonal relationships. Conclusion: Occupational stress in palliative care arises from emotional, organizational and care-related factors, highlighting the need for institutional strategies focused on mental health promotion, professional qualification and improved working conditions for nurses.