Nursing assistance to the families of children with cancer in palliative care in the terminal phase of life

Objective: to analyze the nurses' performance in assisting the families of children with cancer in Palliative Care who are terminally ill in the light of the Peaceful End-of-Life Theory. Materials and Methods: qualitative research, carried out with 15 nurses. Data collection took place from October to December 2019, using the interview technique, based on a script containing questions related to the objective proposed for the study and guided by the concepts of that theory. The data obtained were submitted to content analysis. Results: two categories were developed from the analysis which was based on the Peaceful End-of-Life Theory: nursing assistance to the families of children with cancer in Palliative Care, with emphasis on providing comfort in the face of anticipatory bereavement; orientation to the families, valuing their presence and inclusion in the assistance of children with cancer in Palliative Care to promote a peaceful end to life. Conclusion: the study has demonstrated that the nurses' performance in assisting the families of children with cancer in Palliative Care who are terminally ill, when supported by the theory based on the Peaceful End-of-Life Theory, improves the quality of care provided at the end of life to both the children and their families.