Abstract

POLES, Kátia  and  BOUSSO, Regina Szylit. Sharing the death process with the family: a nurse's experience in the pediatric ICU. Rev. Latino-Am. Enfermagem [online]. 2006, vol.14, n.2, pp. 207-213. ISSN 0104-1169.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692006000200009.

Death is present in the daily reality of nurses who work with children in ICU. This research aimed to comprehend nurses' experience while taking care of children and his/her family experiencing the death process. Symbolic Interactionism was adopted as a theoretical reference framework, while Interpretative Interactionism was used as a methodological reference framework to analyze the biographical narratives of seven nurses who took part in the research. The events that determined the nurses' history in this context were: FACING THE DEATH OF THE CHILD, PROJECTING YOURSELF IN THE MOTHER'S ROLE and PROMOTING FAREWELL. The analyzed data made it possible to understand the nurses' experience in care for children and their families during the death process.

Keywords : death; child; family; nursing.