When caring for others transforms us: meaningful encounters in a palliative care team

Abstract

Palliative Care is the active care of individuals with serious health-related suffering due to life-threatening illnesses. This model entails a holistic, caring, affectionate and nurturing approach that seeks to restore the human and subjective dimension, even in the final moments of life. The aim of this investigation was to explore the experiences of significant and subjectivizing events promoted within a tertiary-level palliative care unit involving hospitalized patients and their families, with special focus on the impact they have on the healthcare team. Twelve members of the healthcare team were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. The main categories identified were: impact on the professional, the characteristics of the palliative care unit that enable these events to take place, and the palliative care approach in itself. As a conclusion, the participation in significant and subjectivizing events has a positive impact on the healthcare team members, providing professional and personal growth and learning experiences, fostering a connection with their spirituality and contributing to job satisfaction.