Rol de enfermería en cuidados paliativos en enfermedades terminales

Abstract

This research aims to determine the role of nurses in providing palliative care to terminally ill patients. It is provided by nurses and plays a role in assisting and accompanying the patient and their family in the transition toward death and grief. It is a systematic review using the PRISMA 2020 methodology. Information was gathered from SciELO, Elsevier, Medline, PubMed, Redalyc, Dialnet, BVS databases, and university repositories. The papers were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and subsequently synthesized, analyzed, and discussed. The results showed that the role of nursing in palliative care for terminally ill patients involves physical aspects ―such as pain relief, symptom management, basic needs, nutrition, and pharmacological treatment―, psychological aspects ―providing emotional support to both the patient and family, as well as the transition towards death and grief management―, and, the spiritual aspect ―giving support for the patient to find peace and tranquility according to their own religious beliefs―. The most common terminal illnesses have been oncological, diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary, renal, and cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, the nurse's role involves providing comprehensive support to patients in the final stage of their lives to provide the necessary comfort and relief for a dignified death, making their optimal assistance paramount.