Abstract
This research aimed to know the anguish experienced by nurses who work with patients in risk or in dying process in a hematology-oncology unit. A clinical-qualitative study, conducted through individual interviews. The participants were 06 nurses from hematology-oncology unit of a university hospital. The results were grouped into five categories, which refer to the loss of professional autonomy when the nurse is faced with the difficulty of thinking about their own work. Working with children affected by cancer seems to be a symbol of greater anxiety in dealing with death. While that, the improvement or cure of hope brings motivation to nurse, the death of the child patient has the meaning of helplessness, sadness and hopelessness. Nurses throughout the work process have insights about how their relationship to work could be improved, but the nurses' concern has not been heard during the suffering. These findings emphasize the need for health care organizations, teams and even the nurses perceive this professional as an ethical subject, who needs to reflect their work to be able to plan some way to digest the anguish of working.
Keywords:
Attitude to death; Nursing; Health Psychology; psychological stress