Reflection Activity After Patient Death to Reduce Anxiety in Intensive Care Nurses

Many nurses, particularly those working in intensive care units, experience anxiety and burnout as a result of caring for patients with complex conditions and high mortality rates. This situation often leads to employee dissatisfaction and high turnover.

The purpose of this project was to reduce anxiety related to patient death among nurses in a 17-bed medical intensive care unit through the implementation of a previously developed evidence-based postdeath reflection activity called "The Pause."

Unit leaders received training in the Pause. Staff nurses anonymously and voluntarily completed preintervention and postintervention surveys collecting self-reported demographic data and scores on the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale, which measures fear and anxiety about death. The intervention was performed by a trained staff member when a patient died. Quantitative data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and measures of effect size.

A total of 38 nurses (54% of nursing staff members) completed the preintervention survey, and 22 nurses (31% of nursing staff members) completed the postintervention survey. The mean total score on the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale decreased by 15% (Cohen d = 0.53) from before to after the intervention, indicating reduced overall anxiety related to patient death among participating nurses.

Implementation of the Pause was associated with a decrease in anxiety among bedside nurses. Given the minimal cost and workload for staff members, along with the positive outcome, continuation of this intervention is recommended.