Professional grief among nurses in Spanish public health centers after caring for COVID‐19 patients

Abstract

Aims and objectives The aim of the present study is to investigate the professional grief suffered by nurses in various medical units, after coping with the COVID‐19 pandemic for the last 18 months. Background Addressing and acknowledging the reality of professional grief is of fundamental importance to nurses' mental health, as this condition has both professional and personal consequences. Design A qualitative, content analysis approach was taken. Methods Based on 25 interviews with nursing professionals working in different health centers units were performed. The following sampling schemes were used: first, convenience sampling, then nominated sampling, and finally theoretical sampling. Results From our analysis of the data obtained, three main themes were identified: the impact on nurses of COVID‐19 outcomes; the symptoms of professional grief; and cognitive reactions. These core elements interacted with 12 subtopics, including symptoms of grief and the cognitive impact produced. Conclusions A large proportion of the nurses consulted in this study have suffered and suffered professional grief and report many related symptoms. In response to the present pandemic and any future occurrence, the question of professional grief needs to be addressed. Relevance to clinical practice To help them cope better with this type of situation, nurses should receive appropriate training. Moreover, healthcare institutions should be made aware of the problem and be encouraged to offer assistance to address the impact produced on nurses by the deaths of their patients. Clinical relevance This study shows the impact of professional grief on nurses in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Nurses are affected personally by the deaths of patients and by alterations to their working conditions. In many cases, this grief remains unresolved and its various symptoms persist.

Psychometric Properties and Validity of Inventory of Symptoms of Professional Traumatic Grief and Relevance to Clinical Practice.

“…On the other hand, we have found that those individuals presenting higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression showed higher scores on the ISDUTYP. This result is consistent with previous studies that report elevated rates of anxiety, stress and major depression [13,34,53], which may be considered risk factors for the development of bereavement syndrome. In fact, a recent study conducted in China during the COVID-19 pandemic found that health care workers reported symptoms of depression (50%) and anxiety (45%), and more speci cally that nurses who have provided direct care to COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of more severe psychological distress [35].…”

“…Professional traumatic grief symptomatology will be more accentuated in individuals who have greater stress, anxiety and depression. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that research indicates that these symptomatologies act as catalysts, exacerbating emotional and cognitive reactions linked to traumatic grief [13,34]. Similar results were found in a recent study during the COVID-19 pandemic [35].…”

“…For bereavement experts, sensitization and subsequent awareness of the speci c risks of complicated bereavement associated with the pandemic represent urgent issues to be addressed [13,16]. In addition, while the context of the pandemic is undeniably a signi cant and challenging experience for healthcare professionals, it is just one facet of the broad spectrum of grief encountered in the eld of healthcare.…”

“…Prevalence rates of professional traumatic grief have increased signi cantly following the Covid 19 pandemic, intensifying the pre-existing complications of pathological grief and increasing the risk of complicated or prolonged psychological distress. Indeed, numerous investigations have highlighted the increase in the prevalence of professional bereavement, with nursing staff in particular showing the highest rates [3,4,[6][7][8].The high mortality rate, ethically challenging work conditions, lack of support and disorganization by hospital institutions, job insecurity, along with the ongoing and substantial number of deaths, and the nearly non-existent support network and resources to cope with the situation, could be considered potential contributing factors to this increase [9][10][11][12][13]. In addition, recent research seems to consider COVID-19 as a potential factor of increased complicated grief in health professionals as the consequences of the pandemic, widely addressed in numerous studies [13][14][15], have accentuated severe and persistent grief in many nurses, probably in uenced by personal characteristics and the rapidity with which the sudden deaths of their patients occurred.…”

Covid-19 pandemic? Mental health implications among nurses and Proposed interventions

“…They found that a significant number of nurses experienced professional grief, often accompanied by a range of related symptoms. Additionally, this study highlighted the importance of coping with grief, providing appropriate training and proactive support for nurses to cope with the effects of patient deaths, and changes in their work environment [15] . In this regard, Stubin CA et al reported that resilience training could improve nurses' stress levels and attention, thus leading to improved patient outcomes.…”