Cuidados Paliativos em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: percepção de enfermeiros e técnicos de enfermagem

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the perception of nurses and nursing technicians about the practice of palliative care developed in the Adult Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital Lauro Wanderley- ICU/HULW. As for the methodological path, the research is classified as descriptive, with a qualitative approach, configuring itself as a case study. Data analysis was performed based on the fundamentals of Content Analysis developed by Laurence Bardin. The research subjects were nurses and technicians from the adult ICU at HULW. With regard to data collection, it was carried out through the application of a social questionnaire and interview script. Based on the results, the individual speeches of the participants in this study revealed that they had an understanding regarding the definition of palliative care, but some turned to the definition of end-of-life. At another moment, the interviewees' difficulty is perceived in relation to the practice of palliative care in the ICU. Some speeches point to the weakness of communication between the multidisciplinary team, patients and family members, indicating an important strategy to be improved in this care context. Regarding the lack of training in palliative care, respondents reported it as a problem, since to provide quality care and respond to complex situations such as the needs of end-of-life patients and their families, it would be essential for professionals to be trained. In view of the above, it was designed as an educational product based on the principles of palliative care, that is, a podcast and a border display board enabling greater dissemination of the philosophy of palliative care.