Abstract
Background. Nurses who provide end of life and bereavement care to neonates and their families are potentially at risk for developing stress-related health problems. These health problems can negatively affect nurses' ability to care for their patients. Purpose. Nurses need to be knowledgeable about end of life and bereavement issues to provide quality care. This study sought to evaluate the effect of a bereavement seminar on the attitudes of nurses regarding end of life and palliative care of neonates. Design. A convenience sample of fourteen neonatal nurses completed a Bereavement/End of Life Attitudes about Care of Neonatal Nurses Scale after a bereavement seminar designed to provide information on end of life care. A pre- and posttest design with an intervention and control group was used to assess changes in nurse bereavement attitudes in relationship to comfort, role, and involvement. Results. After bereavement seminar, the seminar attendees had higher levels of comfort in providing end of life care than nurses in the control group (t = −0.214; P = 0.04). Discussion. Nurses' comfort levels can be improved by attending continuing education on end of life care and having their thoughts on ethical issues in end of life care acknowledged by their peers.
Highlights
Nurses who provide end of life and bereavement care to infants and their families are potentially at great risk for developing stress-related health problems
Factors that induce moral distress in nurses can result from providing care to infants who have withdrawal of treatment followed by death or extending futile treatment that induces unnecessary suffering [3]
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the bereavement seminar on the attitudes of nurses regarding end of life care of neonates
Summary
Nurses who provide end of life and bereavement care to infants and their families are potentially at great risk for developing stress-related health problems. More than half of neonatal deaths are associated with withdrawal of treatment [5], and treatmentrelated stressors to health care professionals have no doubt increased over the years as a result of advanced treatment options [6, 7]. Nurses who provide end of life and bereavement care to neonates and their families are potentially at risk for developing stress-related health problems. These health problems can negatively affect nurses’ ability to care for their patients. Nurses’ comfort levels can be improved by attending continuing education on end of life care and having their thoughts on ethical issues in end of life care acknowledged by their peers
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