THE ROLE OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS IN CARE FOR CRITICAL PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing aims to provide humane care for situations faced in daily life. Therefore, professionals must pay attention to various care measures, especially for critically ill patients, who have an uncertain prognosis, since they show a very delicate clinical condition. Therefore, the nursing professionals present there are fundamental in the care criteria, such as mediation with family members, demonstrating empathy for others in situations in which the family is often unable to be so present. Objective: to understand the role of nursing professionals in the care of critically ill patients through a literature review. Methodology: This was an integrative literature review whose guiding question was: What are the main challenges faced by the nursing team in the care of critically ill patients, what strategies are adopted to overcome them, and how do these practices impact the quality of care offered? A search was carried out in the SCIELO and Medline databases, and descriptors registered in DeCS were used. The inclusion criteria used to select the articles were: Articles published between 2018 and 2024; Articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish published in national and international journals; and complete studies. Exclusion criteria considered: duplicate articles; theses, dissertations and monographs. Results: The final sample of this review consisted of 8 scientific articles, selected according to the previously established inclusion criteria. It is expected that nursing professionals can mutually bring more empathy and humanity to those who need care. Conclusion: It is essential that nursing performs its professional role with knowledge and, in addition, with respect for others, since it is often through them that one finds support in the midst of so many situations faced.