Meaning of nurses regarding the care of older adults during the dying process

Authors

Keywords:

Nursing Care, Aged, Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing, Attitude to Death, Qualitative Research

Abstract

Objective: To understand the meaning that nurses attribute to the care of older adults with terminal illness during the dying process.

Method: A qualitative phenomenological study conducted between August 2023 and July 2024 at a secondary-level hospital in the Bajío region of Mexico. Ten nurses with experience in caring for hospitalized older adults with terminal illness participated. Data were collected through audio-recorded interviews. Phenomenological analysis was performed through reading, identification of meaning units, transformation, and integration of the phenomenon’s structure. 

Results: Six themes emerged: Constructing death from the physical to the transcendent; Providing comfort and convenience; Helping achieve a “good death”; Satisfaction with caring; Experiencing sadness and frustration because of death; and Experiencing spirituality with the older adult.

Final considerations: Care is understood as an act aimed at providing comfort, dignity, and spiritual support to older adults, while being experienced under a profound emotional and personal impact.

Author Biographies

Aislinn Viviana Carrillo Calvario, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Gto, Mexico.

Nurse. Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Obstetrics. University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Gto, Mexico.

Raúl Fernando Guerrero Castañeda, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

Nurse. PhD in Nursing Science and Human Development. Professor at the University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

Pedro Aguilar Machain, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Professor. PhD in Education. Professor at the University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Cinthia Elizabeth González Soto, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

Nurse. PhD in Nursing Science. Professor at the University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Alejandra Alicia Silva Moreno, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Physicist and Mathematician. PhD in Sciences. Professor at the University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

References

1. López-Ortega M, Aranco N. Envejecimiento y atención a la dependencia en méxico. BID [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Aug 30]. 63 p. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0001826

2. Bittencourt NCCM, Duarte SCM, Marcon SS, Chagas MC, Telles AC, Sá EMC, et al. Patient safety in palliative care at the end of life from the perspective of complex thinking. Healthcare (Basel) [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Aug 30];11(14):2030. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11142030

3. Carrillo-Calvario AV, Guerrero-Castañeda RF. Cuidado enfermero en cuidados paliativos en adultos mayores con enfermedad terminal desde la teoría del final tranquilo de la vida. Rev Mex Enf [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 30];12(3):101-103. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.24875/ENF.24000006

4. Díaz-Del Castillo RM, Illacutipa MM, Choque-Gallegos KK. Actitud del enfermero(a) ante la muerte del paciente en Servicios de cuidados críticos. RECIEN [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Aug 30];2(1):72-82. Available from: https://doi.org/10.33326/27905543.2022.1.1372

5. Acurio-Barre SL, Quijije-Chavez VR, Vázquez-morán BA. El rol de la enfermería en los cuidados paliativos. Dominio de las Cienc [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2026 Mar 17];8(2):520-530. Available from: https://dominiodelasciencias.com/ojs/index.php/es/article/view/2769

6. Getie A, Wondmieneh A, Bimerew M, Gedefaw G, Demis A. Knowledge on palliative care and associated factors among nurses in ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Res Manag [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 30];5557947. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5557947

7. Seven A, Sari ES, Semerci V. Perceptions of good death and death literacy levels of nurses working in palliative care: a cross-sectional study. Int Nurs Rev [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 30];72(2):e70036. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.70036

8. Nacak UA, Erden Y. End-of-life care and nurse’s roles. Eurasian J Med [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Aug 30];54(Suppl 1):S141-S4. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5152/eurasianjmed.2022.22324

9.Chang SJ. Registered Nurses’ Experiences of end-of-life care in nursing homes of south korea: a qualitative study. Healthcare (Basel) [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Aug 30];10(11):2213. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112213

10. Souza M, Jaramillo RG, Borges MS. Comfort of patients in palliative care: an integrative review. Enferm Glob [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 10];20(61):420-465. Available from: https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.420751

11. Olsson C, Sandsdalen T, Wilde-Larsson B, Eriksson E, Rognsvåg M, Larsson M. Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of palliative care quality in a combined acute oncology-palliative care unit: A cross-sectional study. Nord J Nurs Res [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 30];41(3):121-30. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/2057158521997389

12. Zahran Z, Hamdan KM, Hamdan-Mansour AM, Allari RS, Alzayyat AA, Shaheen AM. Nursing students' attitudes towards death and caring for dying patients. Nurs Open [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Aug 30];9(1):614-23. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1107

13. Kostka AM, Borodzicz A, Krzemińska SA. Feelings and emotions of nurses related to dying and death of patients - a pilot study. Psychol Res Behav Manag [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 30];14:705-17. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S311996

14. Rafiee S, Azizi-Fini I, Banihashemi ZS, Yadollahi S. Knowledge and attitude towards palliative care and associated factors among nurse: a cross-sectional descriptive study. BMC Nurs [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Aug 30];23:947. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02598-1

15. Hamdan KM, Al-Bashaireh AM, Al-Dalahmeh M, Saifan AR, Albqoor MA, Shaheen AM. Palliative care knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care among intensive care unit nurses in Jordan. Acute Crit Care [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Aug 30];38(4):469-78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2023.00430

16. Fonseca YR, Parra Espinosa CR, Romero ASA, Castañeda Perilla SV. Rol de enfermería en el cuidado paliativo al adulto mayor. Conocimiento enfermero [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 30];7(25):3-13. Available from: https://doi.org/10.60108/ce.279

17. Henriques CMG, Botelho MAR, Catarino HCP. Phenomenology as a method applied to nursing science: research study. Ciênc saúde coletiva [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 30];26(2):511-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232021262.41042020

18. Giorgi A. A Response to the Attempted Critique of the Scientific Phenomenological Method. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2024 Aug 30];48(1):83-144. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1163/15691624-12341319

19. Souza VRS, Marziale MHP, Silva GTR, Nascimento PL. Translation and validation into Brazilian Portuguese and assessment of the COREQ checklist. Acta Paul Enferm [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Sep 10];34:eAPE02631. Available from: https://doi.org/10.37689/acta-ape/2021AO02631

20. Ramos CM, Pacheco ZML, Oliveira GS, Salimena AMO, Marques CSPhenomenological interviews as a research tool in nursing: a theoretical reflection. Rev Enferm Cent -Oeste Min [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Aug 30];12. Available from: https://doi.org/10.19175/recom.v12i0.3778

21. Tracy SJ. Calidad cualitativa: ocho pilares para una investigación cualitativa de calidad. Márgenes, Revista de Educación de la Universidad de Málaga [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Sep 11];2(2):173-201. Available from: https://doi.org/10.24310/mgnmar.v2i2.12937

22. Monteiro TBM, Amorim TV, Porto AR, Carbogim FC, Ferreira MA, Thofehrn MB. Construção do significado de espiritualidade no processo de morte para a equipe de enfermagem oncológica. Rev enferm UERJ [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Nov 20];29:e57595. Available from: https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2021.57595

23. Choi EK, Kang J, Park HY, Kim YJ, Hong J, Yoo SH, et al. Moral distress regarding end-of-life care among healthcare personnel in korean university hospitals: features and differences between physicians and nurses. J Korean Med Sci [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Nov 20];38(22):e169. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e169

24. Oria Saavedra M, Elers Mastrapa Y, Aguirre Raya DA. Atención del cuidador de ancianos al final de su vida desde la teoría del confort. Rev Cuba Enf [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Nov 20];37(3):e4033. Available from: https://www.medigraphic.com/pdfs/revcubenf/cnf-2021/cnf213r.pdf

25. Saucedo ERV. Calidad de atención de enfermería en el adulto mayor hospitalizado: Revisión Sistemática. Rev investig salud [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Nov 20];7(19):244-59. Available from: https://doi.org/10.33996/revistavive.v7i19.298

26. Giménez FN. El cuidado invisible en pacientes críticos desde la perspectiva del equipo de enfermería. Notas de Enfermería[Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Nov 20];21(38):43-53. Available from: https://doi.org/10.59843/2618-3692.v21.n38.35475

27. Wu WD, Wang Y, Fu XY, Zhang JH, Zhang CY, Mao XL, et al. Qualitative study on the perception of good death in patients with end-stage cancer in oncology nurses. BMC Nurs [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Nov 20];23:431. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02081-x

28. Ruland CM, Moore SM. Theory construction based on standards of care: a proposed theory of the peaceful end of life. Nurs Outlook [Internet]. 1998 [cited 2025 Nov 20];46(4):169-175. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0029-6554(98)90069-0

29. Aschale A, Gishu T, Mengist S, Tsehay M. Experiences of intensive care unit nurses in providing end-of-life care in public hospitals: a phenomenological study. BMC Nurs [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 May 15];24:1185. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03849-5

Downloads

Published

2026-09-11

How to Cite

Carrillo Calvario, A. V., Guerrero Castañeda, R. F., Aguilar Machain, P., González Soto, C. E., & Silva Moreno, A. A. (2026). Meaning of nurses regarding the care of older adults during the dying process. Cogitare Enfermagem, 31. Retrieved from https://revistas.ufpr.br/cogitare/article/view/102223

Issue

Vol. 31 (2026)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Aislinn Viviana Carrillo Calvario, Raúl Fernando Guerrero Castañeda, Pedro Aguilar Machain, Cinthia Elizabeth González Soto, Alejandra Alicia Silva Moreno

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Cogitare Enfermagem reserves the right to make normative, orthographic, and grammatical changes to the published article to maintain the cultured standard of the language, while respecting the authors' style.

The published study is the sole responsibility of the author(s), and Cogitare Enfermagem is exclusively responsible for evaluating the manuscript as a scientific publication vehicle. Revista Cogitare Enfermagem is not responsible for any violations of Law No. 9,610/1998, the Brazilian Copyright Law.

Cogitare Enfermagem allows the author to hold the copyright of articles accepted for publication, without restrictions.

The articles published are licensed under the Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 International - CC BY 4.0 - The attribution adopted by Cogitare Enfermagem is permitted:

  • Share - copy and redistribute the material in any media or format.
  • Adapt - remix, transform and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
  • Attribution - You must give proper credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes have been made. You may do this in any reasonable way, but not in a way that suggests that the licensor endorses it or approves of its use.
  • No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing something that the license allows.