Background: Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients who have life-threatening illnesses. When patients are diagnosed with serious illnesses, it is the intimate parties who are concerned about the patient's health. Intimate parties are the ones to provide care and therefore, they need social and emotional support from the nurses involved.

Aim: To describe how intimate parties felt about nurses' support during palliative care.

Method: A qualitative method was chosen as this was appropriate in addressing the aim of the study.

Results: A literature based study was performed and ten empirical qualitative articles were analysed. The results were processed using the Friberg method of analysis. The result of this literature based study consists of two main categories of Emotional and Practical Support, as well as five subcategories. Intimate parties' sensations of being relieved and receiving tools that made it simpler to care for their loved ones were the focus of the practical help. Emotional support requires providing information as well as being present and supporting intimate parties after the patient has passed away.

Discussion: A qualitative palliative care and sustained assistance for intimate parties before and after the death of the patient are dependent on intimate parties’ support

Conclusions: During palliative care, it is crucial for the nurse to support the intimate parties. As a nurse, it is important to consider and respond to the needs of the intimate parties in order to provide them with the support they need in these hard times.