Bereavement support following sudden and unexpected death: guidelines for care

Cook, Penny A.; White, Dee; Ross-Russell, Robert

doi:10.1136/adc.87.1.36

Cited by 49 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Grief theories that assert a stage-based and finite conceptualization of grief led to the situation where many service providers were and are engaged in a process of the assessment and diagnosis of and intervention with bereaved individuals, according to their "progress" through the grief process. As examples, Worden (1982Worden ( , 1991Worden ( , 2002 encourages service providers to identify the task or tasks of mourning that are not completed and help the bereaved to resolve each task, while Cook, White, and Ross-Russell (2002) recommended that staff in pediatric intensive care units detect "unusually absent or excessive reactions" (p. 38) as signs of "pathological" grief. Further, despite Complicated Grief Disorder not (at least yet) being officially recognized in DSM nosology, Kristjanson et al (2006) recommended that service providers screen the bereaved for the disorder if symptoms persist beyond six months and/or appear severe.…”

Section: Grief Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Fundamental Paradox in the Grief Literature: A Critical Reflection

Breen

O’Connor

2007

Omega (Westport)

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A key theme in the bereavement literature is the recognition that every grief experience is unique and dependent on many variables, such as the circumstances of the death, characteristics of the bereaved individual, their relationship with the deceased, the provision and availability of support, and a myriad of sociocultural factors. Concurrently, there are corresponding efforts to define "normal" grief and delineate it from "complicated" grief experiences. The discord between these two potentially opposing statements remains a paradox evident within the three major tensions within the thanatological literature-the dominance of grief theories, the medicalization of grief, and the efficacy of grief interventions. Three recommendations for moving beyond the paradox are discussed-the provision of improved grief education for service providers, the bereaved, and the wider community; the conduct of research that emphasizes the context of grief and is relevant to service provision; and the examination of current grief interventions.A clear and consistent theme within the thanatological literature is the assertion that the grief experience is very much affected and influenced by a myriad of variables and the interactions between these variables. Various key reviews (e.g., Center for the Advancement

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Section: Grief Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Fundamental Paradox in the Grief Literature: A Critical Reflection

Breen

O’Connor

2007

Omega (Westport)

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“…93,[253][254][255] As parents reflect on the whirlwind events of their final days with their child, numerous questions arise. They need a vehicle to have these questions answered efficiently.…”

Section: Autopsies As Communication Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating With Children and Families: From Everyday Interactions to Skill in Conveying Distressing Information

Levetown¹

2008

Pediatrics

410

296

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Health care communication is a skill that is critical to safe and effective medical practice; it can and must be taught. Communication skill influences patient disclosure, treatment adherence and outcome, adaptation to illness, and bereavement. This article provides a review of the evidence regarding clinical communication in the pediatric setting, covering the spectrum from outpatient primary care consultation to death notification, and provides practical suggestions to improve communication with patients and families, enabling more effective, efficient, and empathic pediatric health care. INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEWHealth care communication is a critical, but generally neglected, component of pediatric and pediatric subspecialty practice and training and is a skill that can and must be taught. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The practicing clinician's ability to communicate openly and with compassion is essential for effective and efficient routine health care; this ability becomes a vital lifeline for parents and children confronted with lifealtering and sometimes life-ending conditions. [13][14][15][16] The purpose of this report is to provide research-based and practical guidance to enable effective communication with pediatric patients and their families in a number of common settings and situations. Although child abuse, sexuality, divorce, and many other situations are not individually addressed, the principles and approaches discussed apply equally to these situations.Communication is the most common "procedure" in medicine. Health care communication is different from normal social discourse, because intimate and very private issues are often discussed. These include hopes and fears, developmental concerns, sexuality, and mental health disorders. Painful issues, such as abuse, school failure, drug use, and terminal illness, are also discussed. Communication is the foundation of the therapeutic relationship; it is the basis of fiduciary and ethical obligations of physicians to patients and their families. Effective health care communication is an essential tool for accurate diagnosis [17][18][19] and for the development of a successful treatment plan, 20-23 correlating with improved patient knowledge, 15,24 functional status, 25,26 adherence to the agreed-on treatment regimen, 20,21,27-32 improved psychological and behavioral outcomes, 15,33-36 and even reduced surgical morbidity. 3,4,37 In the case of distressing news, skillful communication can enable a family to adapt better to a challenging situation, 12,38,39 including a child's unanticipated impairments. [40][41][42][43] Poor communication, on the other hand, can prompt lifelong anger 31,42,44-48 and regret, 14,40 can result in compromised outcomes for the patient and family, and can have medicolegal consequences for the practitioner. 49

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“…The consequences of the concept of dignified death for children are: Preservation of the autonomy of the patient and the family (8)(9)14,17,(25)(26)39,41,45) ; Change in paternalistic attitudes and the philosophy of secrecy still permeate several PICUs (9,23,32,38) ; Minimized suffering (1,9-10,14-15,17-19,21-22,25-33,35-37,40- 42,44,[46][47] ; Family feels safe and confident (9)(10)(15)(16)(17)(28)(29)31,33,(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)43) ; Inclusion of the theme of death in the curriculum of the healthcare professionals (1,(9)(10)14,19,22,27,30,32,45) ; and New approach for pediatric healthcare at the end of life (9)(10)(14)(15)(16)…”

Section: Consequences Of the Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morte digna da criança: análise de conceito

Poles¹,

Bousso²

2009

Rev. esc. enferm. USP

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Portuguese / English: www.scielo.br/reeusp RESUMO O estudo teve por objetivo descrever os antecedentes, atributos e conseqüências do conceito de morte digna da criança. Utilizou-se a estratégia de análise de conceito para avaliar os 40 artigos, tendo como foco publicações nas áreas médica e de enfermagem, que estudaram ou focalizaram a morte digna da criança. Os atributos do conceito de morte digna da criança incluem: qualidade de vida, cuidado centrado na criança e na família, conhecimento específico sobre cuidados paliativos, decisão compartilhada, alívio do sofrimento da criança, comunicação clara, relacionamento de ajuda e ambiente acolhedor. Poucos artigos trazem a definição de morte digna da criança e, quando isso ocorre, essa definição é vaga e, muitas vezes, ambígua entre os vários autores. Esse aspecto indica que o conceito ainda não é consistentemente definido, demandando estudos de sua manifestação na prática clínica, contribuindo com os cuidados no final da vida em pediatria. DESCRITORES RESUMENEl estudio tuvo por objetivo describir los antecedentes, atributos y consecuencias del concepto de muerte digna del niño. Se utilizó la estrategia de análisis de concepto para evaluar los 40 artículos, teniendo como foco las publicaciones en el área mé-dica y de enfermería, que estudiaron o focalizaron la muerte digna del niño. Los atributos del concepto de muerte digna del niño incluyen: calidad de vida, cuidado centrado en el niño y en la familia, conocimiento específico sobre cuidados paliativos, decisión compartida, alivio del sufrimiento del niño, comunicación clara, relación de ayuda y ambiente acogedor. Pocos artículos contienen la definición de muerte digna del niño y, cuando eso ocurre, entre los varios autores, esa definición es vaga y, muchas veces, ambigua. Ese aspecto indica que el concepto todavía no está definido consistentemente, demandando estudios de su manifestación en la práctica clínica, contribuyendo con los cuidados en el final de la vida en pediatría.

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Bereavement support following sudden and unexpected death: guidelines for care

Cited by 49 publications

References 13 publications

The Fundamental Paradox in the Grief Literature: A Critical Reflection

The Fundamental Paradox in the Grief Literature: A Critical Reflection

Communicating With Children and Families: From Everyday Interactions to Skill in Conveying Distressing Information

Morte digna da criança: análise de conceito

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