This paper aimed understanding the health workers significations about death. For that, we used the Etnomethodology to observe, interact with the investigated group, which was composed by ten Nursing professionals who work in an emergency/urgency unit at a relevant hospital in Fortaleza-Ceará. Besides the interactive observation, we collected the data using interviews. The data analysis was based on daily appointments and the speech of the group. We figured out that death is a phenomenon that includes many variants, and overall, it is denied in many ways. The tanathological deficit seems to produce some reactions on the professionals, which gives death and dying a meaning based on their work environment, power relationships, and involves political, ethical, religious, social, economical and cultural aspects. We realized the necessity of spreading tanathological contents in colleges and health institutions for improving the assistence and permitting self-knowledge.
Death; dying; nursing workers