NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS) AND PALLIATIVE CARE

Abstract

Introduction: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in the gradual loss of muscle strength and significant functional limitations, directly impacting patients' quality of life. In this scenario, nursing care becomes essential for continuous monitoring, especially in providing humanized care and implementing palliative care. Objective: Identify the main factors related to the nurse's assistance to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the benefits of humanizing care. Methodology: This refers to an integrative literature review conducted over approximately six months, with searches in the SciELO, LILACS, and PubMed databases. Descriptors related to the topic were used, combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR. To meet the inclusion criteria, articles published between 2019 and 2025, available in full text, free of charge, and in Portuguese and English were considered. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were selected with the help of the Rayan platform to form the final sample. Results: The analyzed studies showed that the nurse's role significantly contributes to symptom control, prevention of complications, strengthening of the therapeutic bond, and promotion of quality of life, in addition to providing support to the patient and family throughout the course of the disease. Final considerations: Nursing care, based on humanized practices and palliative care, proves to be essential to minimize suffering and provide comprehensive care to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.