This work, which refer to a study about nursing care to pacients in the terminal stage, was made in Belo Horizonte with nursing staff of general hospitals, that work with that kind of patients. We identified the basic needs for the care of patients in terminal stage. It was also checked if that staff have any difficulties in talking care of those patients. Together with the population under study we also searched for suggestions to solve or minimize the difficulties found in providing care to patients intérmina stage