Importance of palliative care in pediatric oncology

To analyze the testimonies of clinical nurses about the importance of the practice of palliative care in Pediatric Oncology, in the light of the Humanistic Nursing Theory. This is a qualitative research conducted with ten nurses from a pediatric unit of a public hospital in the city of Joao Pessoa – PB, through a semi-structured interview, using Paterson´s and Zderad´s Humanistic Nursing Theory as theoretical and methodological support. The following categories emerged from the analysis: palliative care is essential for promoting humanized care of children with cancer, in end-stage; and palliative care value the communication among nurses, child, and family. It is concluded the need for the promotion of humanized practice by nurses, both the child under a palliative care, as the family, showing to be motivated, sensitized and respecting them in their uniqueness and authenticity, as preconized by the Humanistic Nursing Theory.