Death and dying of newborns and children: relationships between nursing and family according to Travelbee

Identify the nursing staff's perception of their relationship with families of newborns and children who are in the process of death and dying. Qualitative research, carried out in the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a public maternity hospital in Rio Grande do Norte, with 17 nursing professionals, through a semi-structured interview. After being transcribed, the data were subjected to Bardin's content analysis and interpreted in the light of the theory of Interpersonal Relations proposed by Travelbee. Four categories emerged from the analysis: "Caring and welcoming people, feelings and stories"; "Reactions in the midst of pain: moving between acceptance and suffering"; "Communication of bad news: challenges and strategies"; "The weight of caring and suffering". Family assistance can be established using Travelbee's principles, as they offer timely theoretical support for nursing actions in the context of the process of death and dying.