Reflexos da formação acadêmica na percepção do morrer e da morte por enfermeiros

The objective of this study was to understand how the nurses of a medical clinic perceive the process of death and dying, and if this subject was addressed during their academic education. This descriptive-exploratory study, using a qualitative approach, was performed at a teaching hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, from February to June 2010. The subjects were seven nurses working in the referred unit. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and then subjected to content analysis. Nurses perceive the process of death and dying as a lifelong process that promotes feelings of powerlessness and fear, throughout the academic years as well as in their professional practice. The reason given for this is that they received little or no preparation regarding this issue. In conclusion, curriculum disciplines should be improved with the purpose of facilitating the care of patients experiencing the process of dying and death. Descriptors: Education; Death; Nursing.