Experiences of Nurses Who Support Parents During Perinatal Death

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the experience of nurses who support parents during perinatal death, particularly how perinatal death influences the nurse, how the nurse feels when caring for a suffering parent, and how the perinatal death contributes to the nurse’s understanding of self. DesignDescriptive qualitative. SettingFour regions of Quebec, Canada. ParticipantsTwenty-five nurses from different perinatal clinical and community backgrounds who worked with parents who experienced perinatal death. MethodsWe conducted individual, semistructured interviews during which the participants were given the opportunity to describe what they felt and experienced when they supported parents who experienced perinatal death. ResultsAnalysis of the data showed three main themes related to the nurse’s experience of perinatal death: Unrealistic Self-Expectations, Self-Denial, and Negative Self-Awareness. ConclusionOur results suggest that during perinatal death, nurses want to feel useful and to relieve the suffering of parents. A clear understanding of this experience can help nurses to better understand their own experiences.