The meaning of the patients death for nursing professionals

Objective: to assess the death meaning of patients for nursing staff. Methodology: this is about a qualitative study, conducted at the Regional Hospital of Cajazeiras city, Paraíba state, Brazil. The criteria for subjects selection were professional nursing staff, working in the intensive care unit, emergency or inpatient units. It were interviewed 25 nursing staff (10 nurses and 15 nursing technicians) using a semi-structured interview. We performed a thematic analysis for organizing and interpreting data. The project was submitted to the Ethics Committee of the Faculdade Santa Maria, under protocol number 2350309. Results: they generated the categories: the meaning of death for professionals in nursing, nursing in front of the family in the grieving process, the nursing staff and the body after death. Conclusion: it is noticed that for some professionals, death is a natural process, for others a new beginning, a passage, but always a difficult time referring to the loss, failure and impotence. There is difficulty in the communication process of death and comfort to families.