Grief among Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses

Abstract

Background: Nurses working in the high-stress environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk of experiencing grief after death of a baby. Design: Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of nurses working in a Level IV NICU in Northern California, United States completed online surveys. Level of grief among NICU nurses, perceptions of grief support available at their institution, and past and future grief coping methods were assessed. Participants: A diverse sample of 55 NICU nurses, mean age 45.5 (SD = 11.7) years. Setting: A high-acuity NICU in one large Northern California hospital. Methods: Participant demographic data and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory were completed online. Results: Total grief scores ranged between 22 and 82 with a mean of 46.9 (SD = 17.4). Sixty percent (n = 33) moderately/strongly disagreed on adequacy of current grief support services at their institution and 81% (n = 45) reported hospital staff could benefit from additional grief support. Nurses' past grief support included family, friends, and church. Future grief resources would include family, friends, and co-workers. Participants indicated need for debriefing and additional nurse staffing resources at the time of a patient death. Conclusions: Neonatal intensive care unit nurses in our study reported experiencing grief. Debriefing and bereavement support may be helpful for nurses working in high-stress environments where there is a higher likelihood of patient death.

Emotional Responses of Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses to Neonatal Death

“…Neonatal intensive care patients are more vulnerable than other patient groups, their risk of injury is higher, and their care needs are complex. For this reason, it was reported that sadness experienced by nurses in neonatal intensive care units may be different and more intense than nurses working in other units (Rodriguez et al., 2020).…”

“…It was seen from nurses’ statements that they empathized with the family. After long-term hospitalizations, the relationship between nurses and parents improves; nurses support the family on many issues and provide emotional support (Rodriguez et al., 2020). As a result, emotions experienced by nurses while giving bad news to the family were expected.…”

Grief in critical care nurses after pediatric suffering and death

“…Literature suggests that healthcare professionals experience grief after a patient death in ways that are similar to personal losses (15,20,29). However, a recent NICU nursing study, using the Revised Grief Experience Survey, demonstrated lower levels of grief in bedside nurses when compared to family caregivers (36). In relation to patient suffering, grief may be compounded by feelings of guilt and powerlessness when providing what is perceived as futile care to patients (29,37).…”

A Qualitative Study of the Role of Palliative Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions and Experiences Among Critical Care Clinicians, Hospital Leaders, and Spiritual Care Providers

“… 19 , 20 Among healthcare providers, grief following a patient’s death may correlate with emotional exhaustion, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction. 21 , 22 Strategies for addressing grief include helping patients and families prepare for death through advance care planning, responding to and validating emotional reactions, addressing anticipatory grief, and on the part of healthcare providers, being aware of personal grief reactions and engaging in self-care. 18 Such interventions are within the scope of palliative care specialists’ practice making them particularly well-qualified to establish and lead hospital bereavement efforts, instruct care providers on how to support bereaved families, and counsel providers in coping with their own grief.…”