Atuação do enfermeiro paliativista: uma análise dos aspectos apontados em periódicos científicos da área de enfermagem

Abstract

Theme: the work addresses palliative care in the scientific literature. Problem: palliative care is essential to minimize suffering and provide comfort to the patient at the end of life and, although the social need for this specific care increases every day, the initial training of nurses is still insufficient to address this aspect. In this study, we sought to investigate the question of what aspects involve the performance of palliative nurses. Objectives: the general objective was to carry out a critical analysis of the scientific literature on the theme of the role of palliative nurses in promoting the quality of palliative care for patients and families; the specific objectives were: to describe the principles or conceptions about the end of life that should guide the performance of palliative nurses; describe the basic knowledge that underlies the work of palliative nurses; list the demands, challenges and difficulties faced by palliative nurses; to point out the strategies used by the palliative nurse to ensure the quality of palliative care in the end of life process. Method: an integrative literature review was used. Results: Twelve thematic categories were found: End of Life; Nurses' knowledge about palliative care; Nurse training in palliative care; Demands, challenges and difficulties; Quality of life in finishing; Clinical Management; Nurse's Perceptions/Feelings/Experiences; Bioethics and Palliative Care; Theories of care and palliative care; Professional patient relationship in palliative care; Spirituality; Assessment/Diagnosis/Nursing Protocol. Conclusion: nurses are unprepared for palliative care; palliative care requires technical knowledge and great emotional preparation, empathy and effective communication; Emotional obstacles associated with understaffing, excessive work demands and professional inability are the main challenges faced by palliative care.