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Nurses' Perspective on Caring for Women Experiencing Perinatal Loss
1Patricia Willis is an Assistant Professor, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA. The author can be reached via e-mail at patriciarwillis@yahoo.com.
MCN. the American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Nurses described a five-phase process for responding to perinatal loss, emphasizing emotional impact and self-care. Enhanced support and education are crucial for nurses caring for grieving mothers.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Perinatal Care
- Psychology
Background:
- Perinatal loss significantly impacts families.
- Nurses play a vital role in supporting grieving parents.
- Understanding the nurse's experience is essential for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe nurses' experiences caring for women with perinatal loss.
- To identify if nurses' responses to perinatal loss follow a process.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive study.
- Purposive sampling of nine labor and birth nurses.
- In-depth interviews used for data collection and analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified themes: emotional struggles, presence, conflict, self-care.
- Nurses described a process of responding to perinatal loss.
- The process included emotional recognition, connection, and professional action.
Conclusions:
- Nurses need enhanced education and managerial support for perinatal loss care.
- Recommendations include education on physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.
- Debriefing and meeting nurses' needs improve their ability to care for grieving families.