 
Abstract 
 
 
 
1 
Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.Sup / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30iSup.514 / e00514 
 
Perspectives of  palliative care professionals on an oral hygiene 
intervention: a qualitative exploratory descriptive study 
 
Ricardo Serra1, Henrique Luis2, Margarida Quezada3, Federico Herrera4, Helena Arco5 
1  Department of  Health  Sciences  and  Technologies,  Polytechnic  University  of  Portalegre,  Portalegre,  Portugal;  University  of  Lisbon,  Lisbon, 
Portugal; Lisbon School of Nursing, Lisbon, Portugal; CARE – Research Center on Health and Social Sciences, Portalegre, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-
0003-4008-4547 
2 University of Lisbon, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Biomedical and Oral Sciences Research Unit (UICOB), Lisboa, Portugal; Rede de Higienistas 
Orais  para  o  Desenvolvimento  da  Ciência  (RHODes),  Lisbon,  Portugal;  Center  for  Innovative  Care  and  Health  Technology  (ciTechcare), 
Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0002-1092-7825 
3 Department of Health Sciences and Technologies, Polytechnic University of Portalegre, Portalegre, Portugal; CARE – Research Center on Health 
and Social Sciences, Portalegre, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0001-5906-0014 
4 Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0002-9596-9353  
5 Department of Health Sciences and Technologies, Polytechnic University of Portalegre, Portalegre, Portugal; CARE – Research Center on Health 
and Social Sciences, Portalegre, Portugal; Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. orcid.org/0000-
0001-7455-1081 
 
* Corresponding author: ricardodserra@ipportalegre.pt 
 
 
Abstract 
 
Introduction 
Based  on  previous  research  a  team  of  nurses,  oral  hygienist  and  dentist,  designed  an  oral  hygiene  care 
intervention to manage oral symptoms in patients with cancer receiving specialist palliative care. Stakeholder 
involvement is required to better understand their perspectives on the intervention as well as the context where 
it will be applied. 
 
Objective 
To characterize the perspectives and suggestions of specialist palliative care nurses on the proposed oral hygiene 
care intervention. 
 
Methods  
A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study was conducted. Eleven nurses from five palliative care inpatient 
services  in  Portugal  participated  in  two  synchronous  online  focus  group.  Two  physicians  participated  in 
individual interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and the generated dataset was subjected to 
reflexive thematic analysis following a deductive approach. 
 
Results 
Three themes were generated from the dataset. Participants consider that the components of the proposed 
symptom management strategy are adequate to the context and patients that is aimed at. Participants consider 
that the nurses from their units might adhere to the proposed symptom management strategy. The proposed 
symptom  management  strategy  might  have  several  possible  outcomes,  related  to  the  symptom  status  or 
indicators sensitive to changes in the symptom status. 
 
Conclusion 
Participants considered the proposed oral hygiene care intervention to be adequate for their context of work. 
Participants recognize the intervention as being evidence based and perceived it as an improvement of current 
oral hygiene care practices.   
 
Keywords 
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; Oral Hygiene; Palliative Care; Signs and Symptoms; Terminally Ill. 
 
References 
1. Braun V, Clarke V. Thematic analysis: a practical guide. London: Sage; 2021  
2. Skivington K, Matthews L, Simpson SA, Craig P, Baird J, Blazeby JM, et al. A new framework for 
developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance. 