Strategies to improve the nurse-patient relationship with advanced and terminal illness

Abstract

Introduction: The nurse-patient relationship establishes an interpersonal communication that, if effective, achieves an improvement in the patient's quality of life in the future.

Objective: Interpret the strategies to improve the nurse-patient relationship with advanced and terminal illness.

Methods: Exploratory reflection study, carried out in the year 2022, supported by hermeneutics to interpret the bibliographic review carried out in the Google Scholar, PubMed-MEDLINE and SciELO databases. 48 articles were reviewed and 18 that met the criteria were chosen. selection, to interpret the data content analysis was performed.

Results: It is important that nurses encourage the patient to verbalize anxiety, concerns and doubts about their clinical situation, to provide a qualified and appropriate service to the situation in which the person lives, providing a dignified death, when applicable. The importance of training in palliative care was highlighted, due to its effect on the quality of life of the cancer patient and on the understanding of his death.

Conclusions: The importance of fostering empathy during the practice of care favors trust and the establishment of significant bonds, which contribute to the quality of care, especially when dealing with terminally ill patients.