A perceção do cuidador informal sobre a hospitalização de familiares com cancro

Introduction: Cancer patients in need of palliative care continue to be admitted to surgical services, where nurses are prepared to take care of the surgical patient and not to meet their palliative needs and those of their family. Thus, the need for change emerges, in which the family should be involved in the care and also be considered as a care-receiving unit. Therefore, it is pertinent for nurses to focus their care on the patient-family dyad in a structured and oriented manner for family-oriented problem-solving. Objectives: To understand the perception of family caregivers about nurses' interventions in caring for cancer patients with palliative care needs; describe family members 'perceptions of nurses' support and availability. Method: A qualitative study using a semi-structured interview with ten relatives of cancer patients in need of palliative care admitted to a surgical service. The results were analyzed through content analysis. Results: Participants considered that the hospital dynamics are centered on healing and that they were not cared for by nurses, thus not having interest in their experiential and existential process. Conclusion: We identified facilitating and hindering factors perceived by the family when a sick member was hospitalized. We believe that the results of this study indicate that a change in nursing practice is necessary, both in terms of helping relationships and in nursing care itself, always bearing in mind that the family must also be cared for.