Human relationships in patients’ end-of-life: a qualitative study in a hospice ward

Living in a hospice department is an intense experience for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. End-of-life care aims to conduct vulnerable dying patients towards a painless and peaceful death. The importance of a strong staff-patient relationship and the perspective of pain and suffering from patients has already been studied. This study aimed to explore patients' inner needs living in hospice through a qualitative research approach. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in the hospice department at ARNAS Civico in Palermo, Italy. From a qualitative research point of view, a significant sample of ten dying patients was interviewed. Data were collected until saturati…