A SAÚDE MENTAL DOS ENFERMEIROS NO CONTEXTO DO CUIDADO PALIATIVO PARA PACIENTES ONCOLÓGICOS

Abstract

The mental health of two nurses who work in oncological palliative care is constantly affected by the daily coexistence of patients, or the suffering and death of two patients. This continuous contact with terminality causes stress, emotional exhaustion and feelings of helplessness, directly reflecting the quality of the assistance provided. The lack of emotional preparation, the overload of work and the absence of psychological support aggravate the situation even more, making these professionals vulnerable to disorders such as anxiety, depression and burnout. Also, the stigma around the search for help and neglect as self-care contributes to mental health, highlighting the urgency of discussing strategies that favor emotional balance and good health in the context of oncological palliative care. The study aims to analyze the impacts of oncological palliative care on the mental health of nurses, identifying stress factors and coping strategies that promote emotional balance and professional well-being. The study used a bibliographic review with articles published between 2019 and 2025, selected in the SciELO, BVS and Google Scholar bases, analyzing products on mental health of nurses in oncological palliative care. The results show that oncological palliative care places intense emotional demands on nurses, making it essential to develop coping strategies, institutional support and self-care actions to preserve mental health and quality of care. It is concluded that oncological palliative care poses great emotional challenges to nurses, demanding institutional support, self-care and effective policies to preserve their mental health and quality of care.