Introduction

The place of death in the pediatric population has been widely discussed and studied without consensus in the scientific community or in the literature.

Therefore, knowing first-hand the experiences of those who accompany this fragment and how the link and follow-up can facilitate decision making and death wherever desired provides knowledge and learning for an optimal approach to care.

Objectives

To explore the experience of referring professionals of patients who died while being treated by a pediatric palliative care unit.

Material and methods

Qualitative retrospective crosssectional descriptive phenomenological study though interviews with 10 specialist clinicians from a monographic third level pediatric hospital.

Results

Many of the interviewees reflected their own difficulties in finding criteria and best time for referral to palliative care and informing families.

Also, the management of the link with child and family and the reference figure after sharing the follow-up with palliative care team.

Concerning to the ideal place of death most agree that each situation requires individualization, focusing on the child's wishes, care competencies, support and accompaniment available. Being home, the most mentioned place by interviewed subjects.

Conclusions

The decision and willingness to live through the end of the illness and death in one place or another depends entirely on each child, family and culture, in such a way that the professionals must respect and facilitate the care where it has been most appropriately valued.

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