Objective:

To understand how family caregivers perceive their interrelation with members of nursing team and their ill family member in dying process.

Methodology:

This is a qualitative study, conducted in a university hospital from southern Brazil between March and June 2016. It was based on the Leiningerʼs methodology and the Morin’s theory. Twenty-four family caregivers of individuals who were hospitalized and in dying process participated in our study. Observations, interviews and contextual analysis of data collected were carried out.

Results:

Two categories emerged based on data analysis: Weaknesses perceived by family caregivers in their interrelations, with a focus on breakdowns in these relations; and Potentialities in the interrelational process of family caregiver, with a focus on potentialities of family caregivers to provide a better quality of life to ill individuals.

Conclusion:

Family caregivers of this study demonstrated the need to build potentialities, looking for ways to reorganize, in order to cope with dying process, which demands both physical and mental weariness.

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