Introduction: palliative care are a type of care directed to people with diseases without therapeutic possibility of cure, guided by a philosophy that emphasizes comprehensive care to the person, as opposed to actions that only seek a cure. According to the WHO, palliative care seeks quality of life of both patients and their families, from measures aimed at the prevention and relief of suffering.Objective: to verify nursing professionals' concept on palliative care and determine how nursing professionals use palliative care in patients without therapeutic possibilities of cure.Method: field study, exploratory, qualitative, conducted with 30 nursing professionals from a public hospital, using a questionnaire, during July and August 2013. This study was approved by the CEP of the HULW/UFPB, CAAE number: 16841113.6.0000.5183.Results: four core ideas were extracted: Care focused on improving the quality of life of patients and families in coping terminal diseases; Essential care regardless of diagnosis; Palliative care is aimed at pa-