Knowledge and Attitude Regarding ‘Perinatal Bereavement Care’ among Nurses Working in the Maternity Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

ABSTRACT Perinatal bereavement is a unique mourning situation, as the parent's expectation and joy at the prospect of a new life change into a despair and grief. IUFD may represent a significant loss of the mother's perception of her body's functional adequacy associated with body image and feelings of self-wroth. Objectives To assess the knowledge and identify attitude regarding perinatal bereavement care among nurses. To find the correlation between knowledge and attitude among the nurses regarding perinatal bereavement care. Methods The research approach for the study was descriptive survey. The sample size considered for the study was 30 registered nurses working in maternity and NICU. The sampling technique used for the study was purposive. The tool used for gathering relevant data was a structured knowledge questionnaire. Results The results revealed that majority of the nurses 23(76.6%) belonged to a age group of 21-23 years. Majority 17(56.6%) of the nurses had experience of less than one year in maternity unit and NICU. Maximum nurses 25(83.3%) had no previous experience in managing perinatal bereavement. None of the nurses 30(100%) had attended any in service education. Majority 15(50%) of nurses had poor knowledge about the concept of perinatal bereavement. Maximum 13(43%) of the nurses had average knowledge of perinatal bereavement care, while minimum 5 (16.6%) had fair knowledge of the specified area. Half 15(50%) of the nurses possessed a positive attitude towards perinatal bereavement care. There is no correlation between knowledge and attitude of nurses with regards to perinatal bereavement care. Conclusion In order to facilitate a normal grieving process among bereaved families, the nurse should be equipped with adequate knowledge, a positive attitude and skill in rendering such care.