Training in Expression of Authentic Condolences in Healthcare: A Pilot Study

Bereaved parents value receiving support from their children's health care teams. Pediatric residents are important members of the teams that care for children at end of life and can play a meaningful role in communication with bereaved families. Yet formal training in expressing condolences is currently lacking. We applied Kern's six step approach to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovative curriculum aimed at increasing pediatric residents' comfort levels with and practice of condolence expression. Twelve residents participated in the pilot study. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that residents' comfort levels with expressing condolences increased after implementation of the curriculum and that residents appreciated and benefitted from receiving this education. We successfully developed and piloted a condolence expression curriculum that was well received by pediatric residents and led to increased comfort level with expressing condolences. Research is ongoing to determine the full impact of this curriculum.