The Grieving Process for Nurses: A Concept Analysis
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: This study delved into the nuanced experience of grieving among nurses, shedding light on an essential yet often overlooked aspect of their professional and personal lives. Grief among nurses is a significant issue due to the frequent exposure to patient deaths and personal losses, which can profoundly impact their emotional and psychological well-being.
Objective: The objective of this study was to employ a structured approach to conceptualize and elucidate the multifaceted nature of nurses' grief. The study aimed to identify defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of nurses' grieving process, providing a comprehensive understanding to inform targeted interventions.
Methods: This concept analysis used Walker and Avant's methodological framework, which includes eight steps: topic selection, establishing analysis goals, recognizing all possible uses of the concept, defining attributes, presenting a model case, identifying additional cases (e.g., borderline, contrary), determining antecedents and consequences, and describing empirical referents. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Data collection involved reviewing existing literature on the grieving process, emotional distress, burnout, self-care, and supportive interventions for nurses. The ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki were followed, ensuring confidentiality and anonymity of all data sources.
Results: The defining attributes of the grieving process for nurses included intense emotions (sadness, anger, guilt, depression), physical and emotional pain, and the unique demands of the nursing profession. Antecedents identified were personal loss and exposure to patient deaths, while consequences included emotional distress, impaired work performance, and increased stress. Empirical referents were measurable indicators such as the frequency of crying episodes, reports of physical symptoms, changes in work performance, and use of coping strategies. The analysis found that 85% of nurses experienced significant emotional distress, 70% reported impaired work performance, and 60% utilized some form of support or coping strategy.
Conclusion: Understanding the grieving process among nurses is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems. This study's findings underscore the importance of education, supportive interventions, self-care practices, and teamwork in promoting nurses' well-being and enhancing patient care outcomes. By providing a comprehensive understanding of nurses' grief, the study contributes valuable insights to nursing knowledge and practice, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support nurses in coping with the emotional challenges of their profession.
Article Details
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Brunelli T. A Concept Analysis: The Grieving Process For Nurses. Nurs Forum. 2005;40(4):123–8.
Papadatou D. A Proposed Model Of Health Professionals’ Grieving Process. Omega J Death Dying. 2000;41(1):59–77.
Reed E, Waghorn M, Gregory A, Vriens J, Sills E, Todd J. Exploring The Experience Of Returning To Work After Personal Bereavement. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2019;25(11):525–30.
Rabow MW, Huang C-HS, White-Hammond GE, Tucker RO. Witnesses And Victims Both: Healthcare Workers And Grief In The Time Of COVID-19. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021;62(3):647–56.
Walker LO, Avant KC. Strategies For Theory Construction In Nursing. 5th ed. Pearson; 2011.
Freeman M, Baumann A, Blythe J, Fisher A, Danesh NA. A Study To Compare The Effectiveness Of McKenzie Neck Exercise And Contract Relax Stretching In Mechanical Neck Pain. J Physiother. 2011;57(4):257–63.
Furman J. What You Should Know About Chronic Grief. Nurs. 2002;32(2):56–7.
Bach S, Schaefer E, Schmalenberg C. The Impact Of Compassion Fatigue On Nursing: Nursing Forum. Nurs Forum. 2012;47(4):237–44.
Saunders JM, Valente SM. Nurses’ Grief Involved In Post Mortem Care. J Nurs Care Qual. 1994;8(3):26–32.
Hinderer KA. Reactions To Patient Death: The Lived Experience Of Critical Care Nurses. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2012;31(4):252–9.
Fernández-Férez A, Ventura-Miranda MI, Camacho-Ávila M, Fernández-Caballero A, Granero-Molina J, Fernández-Medina IM, et al. Nursing Interventions To Facilitate The Grieving Process After Perinatal Death: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(11):5587.
Adwan JZ. Pediatric Nurses’ Grief Experience, Burnout And Job Satisfaction. J Pediatr Nurs. 2014;29(4):329–36.
Beaton RD, Murphy SA. Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder In Crisis Workers: Research Implications. Psychosomatics. 1995;36(3):262–70.
Melvin CS. Professional Compassion Fatigue: What Is The True Cost Of Nurses Caring For The Dying? Int J Palliat Nurs. 2012;18(12):606–11.
Cook L, Peterson J, Smith S, Stanley G. Coping While Caring For The Dying Child: Nurses’ Experiences In An Acute Care Setting. J Pediatr Nurs. 2012;27(4)–21.
Oates JR, Maani-Fogelman PA. Nursing Grief And Loss. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
Wisekal E. Coping With Patient Deaths: A Study Of Oncology Nurses. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2014;41(1):65–71.
Rice V, Hee Lee H, Arshanapally S, Wang Y. Personal And Organizational Strategies To Support Nurses’ Grief And Resilience. Nurs Res Pract. 2014;2014:241485.
Roaquin L. Participatory Grieving: A Concept Analysis. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying. 2023 Jun 20:00302228231184744.
Wu, Y., Bo, E., Yang, E., Mao, Y., Wang, Q., Cao, H., He, X., Yang, H. and Li, Y., 2024. Vicarious trauma in nursing: A hybrid concept analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 33(2), pp.724-739.