[Experiences and coping strategies of nurses in the face of death in pediatric hematology: qualitative study].

Introduction:  The death of a pediatric patient causes personal, social and work-related repercussions on nursing staff who have witnessed it. The objective of this qualitative study is to investigate the experiences and the coping strategies of nurses working in pediatric oncoematology before the deaths of assisted children/adolescents.

Method: It has been placed in the Pediatric Oncoematology Clinic - Padua Hospital. Nurses without considering sex, age, training or years of activity at the clinic were interview using a socio-demographic data collection board and a semi-structured interview.

Results:  36 (72%) nurses (between 24 and 57 years) were interviewed. The death of a patient causes emotions and feelings: impotence, anger, identification with parents, sadness and disorientation for the inability to find explanation for the death of the child. Among the coping strategies used prevail the will to vent.

Conclusion:  Death in pediatric oncology is an event whose repercussions on nursing staff should not be underestimated as they are a source of emotional stress due to lack of adequate support and adequate training.