Dados do Resumo

Título

DEATH AND DYING BY RESIDENT PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH PATIENTS WITH CANCER IN THE FINAL STAGE OF LIFE

Introdução

It is believed that resident professionals working with patients in the final stage of life experience intensified mental and psychological suffering, whether due to the oncological hospital context, the bond that is established between patient and professional, the grief experienced in the face of this loss, as well as the intense daily demand from patients in this situation, along with excessive working hours, which also contributes to emotional exhaustion.

Objetivo

To investigate how resident professionals working in the oncology field cope with the process of death and dying with patients in the final stage of life, through the provision of an emotional support group.

Métodos

The research project was analyzed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Antônio Prudente Foundation – A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, under the Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Appreciation (CPEA), number 77095324.1.0000.5432. With the approval of the project, the Informed Consent Form (ICF) was made available and signed by all participants. This is a cross-sectional exploratory research of a qualitative and contextual nature, in which four in-person meetings of an emotional support group took place, with an average duration of 90 minutes, involving 10 medical and multiprofessional residents at the facilities of the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center’s Education Department in the city of São Paulo (SP). Finally, Bardin’s Content Analysis was conducted, adopting the categories 'death and its meanings', 'grief', 'communication with the patient' and 'burnout', based on the contents obtained through evaluative questionnaires filled out by the participants at each meeting.

Resultados

In light of the reports and discussions shared within the emotional support group, a higher prevalence of mental and psychological suffering was observed, particularly related to feelings of helplessness in the face of cancer patients' deaths, unrecognized grief by healthcare professionals, difficulties in dealing with situations involving the communication of bad news, anxiety, work exhaustion, and depersonalization. These issues are associated with the context of grief and death experienced on a daily basis, compounded by long working hours and high job demands. As benefits highlighted by the participants, the welcoming atmosphere, the provision of a safe space for sharing experiences, the sense of belonging and strengthening of bonds within the team, the discussion of coping strategies in the faced context, mutual care, the exchange of affection, and the promotion of self-care and self-knowledge prevailed in their considerations upon the conclusion of the group.

Conclusões

Based on the analyses conducted, it can be inferred that, with the establishment of the emotional support group for sharing experiences among the resident professionals themselves, it became possible to achieve a better psychological adjustment and processing of both the process of death and dying as well as the grief experienced by them with patients with cancer in the final stage of life. Thus, the benefits of promoting a continuous care space for health professionals are evident.

Palavras Chave

Oncology; Mental Health; Palliative Care