PERCEPTION OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS ABOUT PATIENT CARE OF THE TERMINALLY ILL IN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT

Tânia Cristina Schäfer Vasques,Karen Knopp De Carvalho,Priscila Arruda Da Silva,Valéria Lerch Lunardi,Wilson Danilo Lunardi Filho,Edaiane Joana Lima Barros

doi:10.1590/0104-07072016000480014

Tânia Cristina Schäfer Vasques, Karen Knopp De Carvalho + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-07072016000480014

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to understand how nursing professionals perceive the care provided to patients with terminal illness in the hospital environment. This was an exploratory study with a qualitative approach, conducted with 23 professionals in the ambulatory service of a university hospital in southern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, in 2011. Using discursive textual analysis, dialogue was shown to be a fundamental instrument in caring for patients in terminal illness, enabling the facilitation of the difficulties experienced by these patients and their families. The importance of family presence for these patients was identified, making it indispensable for caring for their loved one. Continuous education of the staff is necessary, using problematization of the difficulties experienced in the workplace, humanizing and qualifying the nursing care, ensuring dignity and comfort to patients and their families.

Highlights

With technological advances and the progressive increase in life expectancy, the perspective of incurable disease and risk of death have increased in similar proportion
Health professionals show difficulties in managing the growing demand of patients with terminal illness, requiring strengthening their manifestation of caring in the dying process, learning to work with the thematic death, especially with its association with feeling helpless and as though nothing else could be done for these patients.[1]
Data collection occurred during 2011, by means of a semi-structured interview, recorded and with an average time of 25 minutes, focusing on the subjects’ characteristics and their perceptions about the care provided to terminally ill patients, both by the workers as well as by relatives of the patients in the hospital environment

Summary

Introduction

With technological advances and the progressive increase in life expectancy, the perspective of incurable disease and risk of death have increased in similar proportion. Health professionals show difficulties in managing the growing demand of patients with terminal illness, requiring strengthening their manifestation of caring in the dying process, learning to work with the thematic death, especially with its association with feeling helpless and as though nothing else could be done for these patients.[1]. The NCDs with the greatest impact worldwide of are the cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Such diseases are a major challenge for health managers. In addition to the compromise to the quality of life of affected individuals with a higher probability of premature death, the families, communities and society in general can be affected by adverse economic effects.[2]

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