Background:

Nurses’ focus should include vulnerability factors to understand the intensity range of their interventions, in order to facilitate the transition process to palliative care.

Objective:

To determine the conditioning factors for the transition to Palliative Care from the Clinical Nurse Specialist’ perception.

Methodology:

Qualitative study, with a descriptive phenomenological approach, using Bardin's method of content analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 9 experts from a Palliative Care Unit. Data were interpreted in the light of Afaf Meleis' Theory of Transitions and organized with the ATLAS.ti®.

Results:

Facilitating factors were identified, such as positive attitudes and meanings about palliative care, spirituality and religiosity; and others identified as inhibiting conditions, such as insufficient family support, unrealistic expectations and lack of knowledge about palliative care.

Conclusion:

Nurses must become the facilitators of the patient’s transition process to the palliative care identifying and stepping in the obstacles to their development according to the individual, their family and the caregivers’ needs.

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