THE INFLUENCE OF THE PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT ON NURSING CARE IN CRITICAL CARE UNITS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

ABSTRACT Objective: Analyze the influence of the practice environment on nursing care provided to patients in critical care units. Method: Integrative literature review carried out between April and July 2023, in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, BDEnf, CINAHL, Web of Science and LILACS databases, using the descriptors: Work Environment, Nursing Care, Intensive Care Units, Hospital Emergency Services with Boolean combinations for the search. Results: For the analysis, 17 studies published between 2013 and 2023 were selected, covering the national and international spheres. This literature review covered neonatal, pediatric and adult intensive care units, as well as emergency units. The scope of the research included nurses, technicians and nursing aides, as well as patients assisted in the units. Analysis of the studies revealed a strong influence of the work environment on the performance of nursing professionals. Unfavorable environments not only harm the well-being of professionals, but also compromise the quality of care provided to patients, since they increase the risk of adverse events, impacting on patient safety and, consequently, mortality rates. Conclusion: The practice environment affects the quality of nursing care directly and indirectly.