Comfort and consolation: a nursing perspective on parental bereavement

The death of a child is the most potentially devastating event that a family can ever experience (Lundin, 1984). The death of a child also has a significant impact on the lives of health care professionals who must provide care both for the child and for the grieving family members. Nurses can assume a critical role in supporting bereaved families by becoming cognizant of parental grief responses and by developing an awareness of the needs of families in planning appropriate interventions.