Helping families cope with grief: Do nurses’ life experiences make a difference?

Abstract

The relatives of dying patients have very special needs. There is little doubt that some nurses provide for these needs in a more holistic, caring manner than others. The purpose of this explorative research paper is to examine whether nurses' past life experiences have a direct bearing on their ability to make the final rite of passage a 'positive' experience for family members. It was hypothesised that nurses who have lived through the death of a close relative are less restrictive of family access than those who have not shared this experience.