The nursing actions before the right to worthy death of the hospitalized child

Nathalia Cristine Schuengue Pimentel Cholbi,Luciana De Cássia Nunes Nascimento,Isabel Cristina Dos Santos Oliveira,Rita De Cassia Melão De Morais,Elena De Araújo Martinez,Sandra Alves Do Carmo

doi:10.1590/2177-9465-ean-2018-0356

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: To describe the nursing actions facing the right to worthy death of the child and to analyze the (im) possibilities for promoting worthy death of the hospitalized child. Method: Qualitative approach based on the concept of a worthy death, with 16 members of the nursing team, who work in a pediatric hospitalization unit, through the Non-Directive Interview in Group. Data submitted to thematic analysis. Results: The actions minimize the suffering and make the environment more welcoming for the child and family. A dignified death is possible when the child and family are prepared; the decisions are shared; the bond with the team is established; the religious and bioethical aspects are respected and the framework of irreversibility is recognized. These factors guarantee the strengthening of the family; the bioethical principles; the acceptance of the child's death, and the mitigation of the stressors aspects. Conclusions and implications for practice: The nursing team promotes the dignified death of the child based on individual convictions of dignity, since there are no models of care for the child at the final moment of life and death yet, in the unit, the study scenario. Such actions contribute to the creation of new models of care for the child that safeguard primarily the human dignity at the time of death.

Highlights

IntroductionThe advent of technologies brought great advances and improvements in healthcare, enable maintaining the life at any cost, impairing the human dignity.[1,2] It is necessary to understand that the dignity, even at the time of death, is fundamentally an attribute of the human being, making it worthy of respect and protection, no matter his or her origin, race, gender, age, marital status or socioeconomic condition from the moment of conception.[3]The concept of human dignity is, primarily, the need of protection of the primary interests of any person by means of basic conditions for its existence, as well as protection of its personal autonomy.[4]The scientific advances, in general, and the advances in medicine have enabled the prolongation of the childrens life with life-threatening diseases, until irrecoverable
Qualitative approach based on the concept of a worthy death, with 16 members of the nursing team, who work in a pediatric hospitalization unit, through the Non-Directive Interview in Group
Conclusions and implications for practice: The nursing team promotes the dignified death of the child based on individual convictions of dignity, since there are no models of care for the child at the final moment of life and death yet, in the unit, the study scenario

Summary

Introduction

The advent of technologies brought great advances and improvements in healthcare, enable maintaining the life at any cost, impairing the human dignity.[1,2] It is necessary to understand that the dignity, even at the time of death, is fundamentally an attribute of the human being, making it worthy of respect and protection, no matter his or her origin, race, gender, age, marital status or socioeconomic condition from the moment of conception.[3]The concept of human dignity is, primarily, the need of protection of the primary interests of any person by means of basic conditions for its existence, as well as protection of its personal autonomy.[4]The scientific advances, in general, and the advances in medicine have enabled the prolongation of the childrens life with life-threatening diseases, until irrecoverable. The fact that there is ever more control of the biological aspects of the health/disease process, possibly, promotes limitations in the health professionalssensitivity to admit the treatment failure and implement supporting and palliation measures more compatible with the care that respect the human life.[5]. Before the complexity of the aspects that involve the promotion of the human dignity at the moment of death and, that there should be consistent proposals of care of end-of-life for the child and its family, is indispensable a common language between researchers and health professionals about the concept of worthy death[6], as well as the concept of Palliative Care

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