STRESS AND BURNOUT IN ICU NURSES: IMPACTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND CARE PRACTICES

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing is considered a stressful and exhausting profession, characterized by long working hours, an intense pace, and direct involvement with life and death situations. In this context, many professionals develop work-related illnesses, with Burnout Syndrome standing out, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional accomplishment. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review conducted between February and April 2025, with searches in the BVS, LILACS, and BDENF databases. The descriptors used were: Burnout Syndrome, Occupational Stress, Mental Health, Nurses, Intensive Care Unit, and Nursing Care. Articles in Portuguese published between 2019 and 2024 were included, while those not aligned with the theme were excluded. Results and discussion: The ICU is a highly stressful environment, marked by work overload, constant contact with death, and resource shortages, which favor occupational stress and Burnout Syndrome in nurses. These factors compromise the physical and emotional health of professionals and the quality of care, making individual and institutional measures for prevention and quality-of-life promotion essential to ensure safe and humanized care. Conclusion: The ICU environment exposes nurses to intense physical and emotional pressures, requiring both institutional and personal actions to prevent stress and Burnout Syndrome and to guarantee humanized care.