CUIDADO HUMANIZADO EN PACIENTES GESTANTES CRÍTICAS: PERCEPCIONES DE PROFESIONALES DE ENFERMERÍA EN HOSPITAL ENRIQUE ORTEGA MOREIRA, DURÁN, ECUADOR

Humanized care represents a cornerstone of nursing practice, especially in the case of patients who require comprehensive and sensitive attention to their physical and emotional needs. However, various structural factors hinder its application in intensive care units. The objective of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions of the humanized care provided to critically ill pregnant women at Enrique Ortega Moreira Hospital in Durán, Ecuador. A qualitative, descriptive study with a phenomenological approach was conducted with eight nursing professionals selected through convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews were applied, validated by experts, and pilot-tested. Data were analyzed through inductive coding, thematic categorization, and triangulation of sources, complemented by a frequency analysis of key words. The results revealed seven main categories related to meaning, values, strategies, barriers, and proposals to strengthen humanized care. While nurses highlighted empathy, respect, and communication as pillars of their practice, they also noted excessive workload and lack of resources as limitations that hinder its application. These findings are consistent with previous studies in the region and provide a contextualized perspective on the Ecuadorian setting by emphasizing the need for institutional protocols and continuing education. In conclusion, humanized care for critically ill pregnant women is perceived as fundamental to care quality and requires organizational strategies that go beyond individual commitment to become a sustainable institutional policy