The study seeks to understand how the nursing staff carry out their professional practices guided by humanization. It is a qualitative research carried out in a pediatric oncology inpatient unit of a general hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Eleven nurses and nursing technicians partcipated as subjects of the study. Three categories emerged in the analysis: comprehension of humanization, realization of humanization and suggestions for a humane practice. The conclusion indicates that each professional determines how they will carry out their practices to humanize care. Yet, this requires active listening and interpersonal relationships consolidated through discussion and regular meetings.