OBJECTIVE: To know the feelings experienced by the nursing professionals who work together and with the death in the emergency unit, providing a moment of reflection on the significance of these. METHOD: This is a qualitative research, with phenomenological approach, held from through interviews with nursing professionals who work in the emergency room in a public hospital in the city of São Paulo. RESULTS: The analysis of the data collected made it possible to realize that the professionals to vivenciarem the process of death and dying, showed feelings: sadness, helplessness, loss, failure and fear. CONCLUSION: the professional nursing is not prepared to deal with such feelings because assume a commitment for the preservation of life. Also, we can say that the subjects of the search live the mourning with the death of patients who care.
Nursing care; Death; Qualitative research