Factors involved in the attitude of the nursing professional to the death of patients in a hospital of Oaxaca

Abstract

Nursing professionals are daily exposed to death, pain, suffering, and the agony experienced by patients and their families, circumstances that constitute a constant aspect of hospital practice. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors influencing nurses’ attitudes toward patient death. A descriptive qualitative study was carried out using convenience sampling, with a final sample consisting of 13 professionals working at the General Hospital of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. A semi-structured interview guide was used as the data collection instrument, applied to nursing professionals who had experienced the death of a patient during any shift or service. The interviews were recorded with informed consent, transcribed, and analyzed using Atlas.ti 22 software. As a result of the analysis, five main categories emerged: personal, emotional, social, work-related, and patient-related factors. The predominant feelings expressed by the staff in relation to death were helplessness, sadness, anger, and guilt. The emotional impact largely depends on the bond established with the patient, the time shared during hospitalization, the circumstances of death, and the patient’s age. In conclusion, the described factors influence the attitudes of nursing staff toward death, and the identified coping strategies highlight the importance of adopting educational programs focused on thanatology and palliative care in both academic institutions and the workplace.