PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS OF NIGHT-SHIFT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This article sought to understand how the academic and emotional challenges faced by university students in their final years of health sciences, especially those enrolled in evening classes, influence their professional expectations and prospects for entering and advancing in the job market, considering aspects related to mental health at the end of their undergraduate studies. Academic life involves significant changes, such as adapting to new routines, environments, and social relationships, which can intensify the challenges experienced by students. To understand this reality, an integrative literature review was conducted, encompassing publications on the topic from 2015 to 2025, from which 12 articles were selected. It is hoped to contribute to increasing awareness of the academic and emotional challenges experienced by these university students, as well as identifying individual and collective strategies for promoting mental health, including the development of skills and psychological support offered by educational institutions. Thus, the aim is to highlight the importance of these strategies for professional preparation and for the mental health of students in the transition process to the job market.