Vivências no trabalho de enfermeiros de Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Geral e Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

Objective: to analyze the work experiences of nurses who worked in the general Intensive Care Unit and COVID Intensive Care Unit during the pandemic period and their relationship with moral distress. Method: qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study, carried out in a university hospital in the southern region of Brazil. Data collection took place from August to October 2021, online, through interviews on an electronic platform, following a semi-structured script. Discursive textual analysis was used. Results: a total of seven nurses participated in the research. From the perspective of the participants, experiences involving the lack of material and human resources, precarious infrastructure, conflicts between professionals and their decisionmaking processes, weaknesses in care, medical hegemony, and unilateral decision-making were reported. Conclusion: experiences at the organizational and relational levels were recognized that can lead to the development of moral distress in the work process of nurses in both intensive care units.