Title: Bereavement needs of critical care nurses: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background/Introduction: Bereavement and grief in critical care nurses remain an under studied phenomenon. As a way of self-protection, nurses may compartmentalize their own feelings and need assistance and support in processing feelings of bereavement. Nurses spend much of their time caring for patients and their family members, while guiding them through the dying process, however they may not take adequate time to address their own bereavement needs. Objective/Aims: To explore the bereavement needs of critical care nurses after experiencing the expected or unexpected death of a patient. From their lived experiences, gain insight as to how nurses perceive, process and cope with the death of a patient. Methodology: A qualitative, phenomenological focus group was conducted with critical care nurses (N = 10) after gaining Internal Review Board (IRB) approval. The group discussion was audio-recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was performed to identify common themes. Results: Seven themes emerged a) Emotional Distress, leading to compassion fatigue, burnout, moral distress, b) Empathy, c) Resurfacing Personal Loss leading to secondary traumatic stress in the workplace, d) Unrealistic Expectations placed on the nurse, e) Detachment leading to compartmentalization, f) Lack of Formal Education, and g) Selfcare and Available Resources. (See Table 1 and 2) Discussion/Conclusion: More education for nurses in undergraduate and continuing education programs is needed to assist nurses in the bereavement process. More interventional studies are needed to explore programs of nurses’ selfcare both in the workplace and in nurses’ personal lives to more effectively support their emotional needs.