Objective: To understand the importance which nurses attribute to education on the care of terminal patients. Methodology: Qualitative study with an ethnographic focus, with 23 participants, carried out in Medellín, Colombia from December 2012 to November 2013. Ethnographic tools were used. Theoretical saturation was reached with 23 interviews. Results: The education which nurses receive to face the care of the dying patient, as well as the situation of his/her family, was incomplete and insufficient. Conclusion: The training of nurses in this area could further humanize the care process since these tools allow them to act reflexively while facing death. The care of terminal patients is an obligation that the nurses must handle with limited educational preparation.