[Health-related quality of life among patients with advanced cancer: an integrative review]. / Qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pacientes com câncer avançado: uma revisão integrativa.

This integrative literature review aimed to characterize scientific articles on health-related quality of life - HRQoL - among patients with advanced cancer from national and international literature, and summarize those factors evidenced in the literature that contributed to the improvement or worsening of HRQoL among patients with advanced cancer. The search for materials was conducted in the following databases: CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, SciELO and LILACS. Among the 21 articles in the sample, 13 showed an improvement of HRQoL among patients with advanced cancer related to the development of physical, emotional and spiritual interventions. In eight studies, we identified predictive symptoms of low HRQoL, such as pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, depression, nutritional changes, and others. The results showed that clinical manifestations, which many times were inherent in cancer, such as factors that can lower patients' HRQoL, while physical, psychological and spiritual benefits resulting from therapeutic interventions may promote its improvement.

[Nursing care in terminality: compliance with principles of bioethics ]. / O cuidar de enfermagem na terminalidade: observância dos princípios da bioética.

The aim of the study was to investigate the principles of bioethics reported by nurses when caring for terminally ill patients. Exploratory research with qualitative approach, developed with fifteen nurses from an intensive care unit of a university hospital, in northeastern Brazil. Data collection was conducted between March and July 2013, through a form. Data were analyzed using the technique of content analysis, emerging the following thematic category: respect to the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice to take care of the terminally ill patients. The participating nurses valued these principles when caring for terminally ill patients, which reflect the ethical commitment of these professionals in the practice of nursing care. It is noteworthy that bioethical principles should guide the nursing care of human beings throughout their life cycle.

[Scientific production in online journals on the practice of psychological harassment: an integrative review]. / Produção científica em periódicos online acerca da prática do assédio moral: uma revisão integrativa.

The discussion about the practice of psychological harassment has gained notoriety due to the intensification and the severity of the phenomenon in various scenarios, such as educational institutions, public agencies and private companies. This study aims to characterize the scientific production about the scenarios of psychological harassment in online journals in the areas of Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities from 2002 to 2010. This is an integrative literature review. Its sample consists of 24 publications. The survey revealed that most of the publications were made from 2005 to 2010. Highlighted areas of knowledge were Health Sciences and Humanities. We identified three scenarios of psychological harrassment: education institutions, public agencies and private companies. We conclude that psychological harrassment affects workers employed in various work scenarios, and that the discussion about this phenomenon stands in the interdisciplinary field.

[Existential experience of mothers of hospitalized children in intensive pediatric care unit]. / Experiência existencial de mães de crianças hospitalizadas em unidade de terapia intensiva pediátrica.

This study has the objective of understanding the existential experience of mothers of children hospitalized in an intensive pediatric care unit (IPCU). It is a qualitative-based research grounded on the humanistic nursing theory. The investigation scenario was the IPCU of a public hospital. Five mothers of children who were hospitalized in the referred unit participated in the investigation. Data were analyzed from the standpoint of the five phases of the phenomenological nursing. The following issues emerged from the collected statements: the relationship between mothers and nursing professionals at the moment of admission and throughout the child's hospitalization period in the IPCU; and mothers who experience fear, despair and loneliness in face of the child's disease. The present study highlights the complexity of a mother-centered approach and subsidizes a new look at the field of the care, teaching and nursing research.

[Palliative care: communication as a strategy of care for the terminal patient]. / Cuidados paliativos: a comunicação como estratégia de cuidado para o paciente em fase terminal.

Palliative care involves an approach in the field of care for terminal patients and their families that seeks to assure them better quality of life by establishing good communication. The scope of this study was to verify how nurses use communication in the field of palliative care when assisting patients in the terminal phase. This is exploratory research of a qualitative nature in which 28 nurses working in wards of a hospital in the city of Joao Pessoa in the State of Paraíba participated in the period from August to October 2012. A form was used for data collection that was then analyzed using the content analysis technique. Three categories emerged from the analysis of the material: "palliative care and communication - interpersonal relationship between the nurse and the terminal patient"; "communication in palliative care as a strategy for strengthening the bond between the nurse and the terminal patient"; and "the importance of communication between the nurse and the family of the terminal patient under palliative care." The conclusion reached was that communication is seen to be an effective element of care for the patient in the terminal phase and it is extremely important for the promotion of palliative care.

The importance of communication in pediatric oncology palliative care: focus on Humanistic Nursing Theory.

OBJECTIVE: to investigate and analyze communication in palliative care contexts from the perspective of nurses, based on Humanistic Nursing Theory. METHOD: this is a field study with a qualitative approach, in which ten nurses working in the pediatric oncology unit of a Brazilian public hospital participated. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The testimonies were qualitatively analyzed using Humanistic Nursing Theory and based on the five phases of Nursing Phenomenology. RESULTS: two thematic categories emerged from the analysis of the study's empirical material: "strategy to humanize nursing care, with an emphasis on relieving the child's suffering" and "strategy to strengthen ties of trust established between nurse and child." CONCLUSION: communication is an efficacious element in the care provided to the child with cancer and is extremely important to promoting palliative care when it is based on Humanistic Nursing Theory.

[Palliative care for HIV/AIDS patients: bioethical principles adopted by nurses]. / Cuidados paliativos em pacientes com HIV/AIDS: princípios da bioética adotados por enfermeiros.

This study sought to investigate the principles of bioethics considered by nurses involved in research while caring for patients with HIV/Aids under palliative care. An exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, was conducted with twelve nurses in a public hospital in the municipality of João Pessoa in the State of Paraíba. A form was used for data collection and the empirical material was analyzed qualitatively using the content analysis technique. The following categories emerged from the qualitative analysis: Respect for the autonomy of HIV/Aids patients under palliative care; and Enhancement of the principles of charity, non-malevolence and justice in providing palliative care to HIV/Aids patients. The results revealed that the participants acknowledge the importance of bioethical principles while caring for patients with HIV/Aids under palliative care. The work provides a reflection on and elicits the pursuance of further studies which can contribute to improve the quality of life of these patients with care based on ethical principles.

[Euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia: an integrative review of the literature]. / Eutanásia, distanásia e ortotanásia: revisão integrativa da literatura.

There is currently widespread concern among researchers in debating questions that generate ethical conflicts within the scope of health care geared to the human being in the terminal phase, especially euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia. This study sought to characterize the scientific production at the national level on euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia. It involves an integrative review of the literature. The study universe consisted of 41 publications related to the theme in question by means of a survey conducted online in the Virtual Health Library in the Capes Portal and in the Bioethical Magazine. Of these, 25 articles comprised the sample taking into consideration the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collection occurred in March 2013, by means of an instrument containing information pertinent to the proposed objective. The key words used were euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia. With respect to the focus of the publications, three themes emerged: Theme I - Euthanasia; Theme II - Dysthanasia and Theme III - Orthothanasia. The studies analyzed reflected the current concern in terms of ethical dilemmas concerning care of the human being in the end of life phase. Thus, it is hoped that this research can contribute to bolster the critical reading with respect to the theme.