Nursing Staff's Social Representations of Death

Over the years, the social construction of cancer has associated the disease with an irreversible process that is therefore very painful for patients and their families. The nursing team, as well as providing extremely important care in the oncology sector, has the responsibility of alleviating the suffering brought on by cancer, preserving life and relieving their patients' fears and intense pain. Even though death is a constant in the lives of these professionals, it is presumable that the situation can bring feelings of sadness, guilt, incapacity, fear, coldness or emotional instability. The aim was therefore to understand the social representations of nursing staff about death in terminally ill cancer patients.