[Taking care of terminal patients: nursing students' perspective]

The aim of this study is to understand how nursing undergraduates perceive themselves while care delivery to terminal patients and expose the meaning of the experience they have. Fourteen students were interviewed, and answered the following question: What is the image you have about caring for a terminal patient? Students always consider this to be a painful experience, one that puts them face to face with their weaknesses and insecurities. They attribute their difficulties to their personal incapacity to accept death and to their lack of preparation and their inexperience. They report a lack of support from professionals with whom they share this care. In terms of professional development, for some, the experience was positive, despite the difficulties; others evaluate it as negative, resulting in a rejection of similar situations. Further studies on this subject are needed with a view to a deeper and broader reflection on nursing education in Brazil.