Meaning of the process of dying and death for multiprofessional staff

Abstract

Objective: this study aimed to describe the meanings that a multidisciplinary team at Intensive Care Unit Adult holds about the process of dying and death. Method: The research was qualitative, conducted through semi-structured interviews with 21 health professionals. The results were analyzed in grounded thematic content analysis, which resulted in the following categories: non-scientific view of death and dying, and scientific view of death and dying. Results: Meanings about death were evidenced as a natural process, a step to fulfill a physiological event and extinction. Conclusion: It is important to know the meanings that these professionals have about these events for discussions and reflections that help the healthcare team to live with death and dying.