Telling stories and choreographing emotions, at hospital work involving the birth, pain and death of children

Abstract

This paper describes a qualitative research based on narratives collected by means of interviews and workshops. It aims to reveal in what way health professionals from seven specialties of a neonatal and pediatric ICU of a Municipal Public Hospital in the interior of Rio de Janeiro identify signs of suffering at work. These professionals deal with the birth, pain and death of children, but do not include this experience as an integral part into their daily work. We believe that the use of narratives is a device that allows to incorporate the dimensions of these denied experiences and to produce knowledge about life and death in work processes.

Key words:
Narratives; suffering; health professionals; neonatal and pediatric ICU