Palliative care and death in hospitalized patients. A contribution from a nursing perspective

Abstract

Introduction: in the hospital area the process of death is very common, that is why the palliative care provided by the nursing staff, is very important since it helps the patient to die in peace, as well as the family to face the grieving process. Methods: this research is qualitative, descriptive, with a phenomenological approach, with the participation of 9 nursing professionals who worked for at least 5 years in the hospital area, and who had the experience of working with a patient in the palliative phase. Data collection was carried out by means of a semi-structured interview. Results: through the 6 categories and 2 subcategories, it was shown that nursing professionals provide accurate care in terms of interventions and management of a palliative patient; however, during the research, a deficiency was found in their academic training regarding death, as well as the importance of involvement with the family. Conclusion: in palliative care nursing is a fundamental pillar, since they are the closest to the patients and one of the first to witness their death, for this reason it is recommended a mental preparation and not only knowledge from the beginning of their academic training