Individual, group, organizational, and technological interventions to prevent workload overload in critical care nurses: integrative review

Abstract

Introduction: workload overload in critical care nurses can lead to burnout, as well as impair the quality and safety of care. Preventing it through multidimensional interventions is essential to ensure healthy work environments and safe care.

Objective: to systematize the evidence on individual, group, organizational, and technological interventions to prevent workload overload in critical care nurses, with an assessment of their methodological soundness and research gaps.

Methods: an integrative review was conducted according to the Valencia stages. Five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase) were searched using Boolean strategies (AND/OR) and the MeSH/DeCS terms "Occupational health"; "Work stress"; "Professional burnout"; "Nursing staff"; "Critical Care"; "Critical Care Nursing"; "Nursing Care"; "Evaluation of the Efficacy-Effectiveness of Interventions." Studies in Spanish, English, or Portuguese (2014–2024) on interventions to prevent overload in critical care nursing were included. Gray literature and inaccessible studies were excluded. A total of 761 studies were identified; after eliminating duplicates and applying PIO criteria, 12 were selected. Methodological quality was assessed using Jadad, STROBE, and AMSTAR.

Conclusions: individual interventions (mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotional regulation) demonstrated efficacy in reducing stress and increasing resilience. There is a paucity of studies at the group, organizational, and technological levels. Most lack long-term follow-up and feature pre-experimental designs. Research into holistic strategies that integrate collective support, structural changes, and digital tools is recommended to optimize workload management and sustain benefits over time.