BETWEEN THE DIPLOMA AND ILLNESS: CHALLENGES OF PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION AND BURNOUT IN NEWLY GRADUATED NURSES

Abstract

Entering the labor market exposes newly graduated nurses to demands for which undergraduate education does not always prepare them, and this period has been associated with early mental illness. This study aimed to identify the factors related to professional integration that are associated with the development of burnout in newly graduated nurses. This is an integrative literature review, with searches in the PubMed, BDENF, LILACS, and SciELO databases using DeCS/MeSH descriptors, including studies published between 2022 and 2026 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. A complementary PubMed search with terms specific to newly graduated nurses was added. Of the 671 records identified, 12 made up the final sample. The most recurrent factors were work overload, insufficient staffing, the technical insecurity typical of the beginning of a career, workplace bullying and difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and the lack of onboarding and preceptorship in health services. Among coping strategies, mentoring and residency programs, continuing education, and mindfulness-based interventions stood out. It is concluded that burnout at the beginning of a career stems mainly from working conditions and work organization, and that its prevention depends on institutional onboarding measures rather than solely on the individual resources of the professional. In the databases searched, no recent Brazilian studies measuring burnout specifically in newly graduated nurses were found, which suggests a gap to be explored in further research.