Nurses' perceptions about bereavement care in critical care units: A qualitative study

To explore critical care nurses' perceptions of bereavement nursing care in critical care settings at a tertiary hospital in Singapore.

Grief and bereavement are stressful life experiences associated with significant health problems. Critical care nurses play important roles in supporting bereaved family members, and their self-competence affects the quality of the care they deliver. Exploring critical care nurses' perceptions of bereavement nursing care is thus essential.

An exploratory descriptive qualitative study design was adopted. A total of 16 nurses were recruited. One-on-one interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and were audio-recorded. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. This study was reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Five themes surfaced in the study, namely, family responses, holistic care, psychological impact, self-competence and organisational dynamics.

This study highlighted the key roles of critical care nurses in providing bereavement care, how their self-competence impacts care delivery and the significant impacts of organisational policies on their capacity to provide care.

Nursing administrators should provide enhanced organisational support to critical care nurses who provide bereavement nursing care, and implement training work plans to ensure nurses are adequately prepared to provide culturally appropriate care. Strategies should be introduced to reduce administrative burden, expand the role of critical care nurses in providing bereavement nursing care, and establish and enlist role models as drivers of bereavement nursing care.