Abstract
Objective: To reveal the perception of grief support of professionals in pediatric oncology units, after the death of the patients. Method: Qualitative phenomenological study. 22 in-depth interviews were conducted with professionals from 5 pediatric oncology units of public hospitals in Santiago. Once the narratives were transcribed, the comprehensive analysis and subsequent triangulation of the data was performed, achieving saturation. Results: Professionals perceive themselves supported in their grief by being able to experience the losses in a protected environment and feeling supported by their surroundings. They recognized the existence of external and internal factors that facilitated the process of grief. However, this support is perceived as insufficient, as there is a lack of formal support from the institution, as well as a protected grief period, or support from mental health professionals to the teams. All death experiences allow professionals to transcend their pain based on lifelong learning and to give meaning to their work. Conclusion: Grief support felt by the professionals is generated from their own initiatives of re-encounter within the teams, which is insufficient. Therefore, training in coping with death is necessary from undergraduate level, which would allow greater cohesiveness in coping and greater self-care within the teams.
Highlights
Cuando muere un niño, nos reunimos con las personas del equipo que estaban allí en ese minuto; hablan de lo que pensaban
Struggling to do what is right for the child: Pediatric life-support decisions among physicians and nurses in France and Quebec
Summary
Hallazgos A partir de los relatos proporcionados por los participantes, se develó que los profesionales y técnicos de oncología pediátrica perciben apoyo en su duelo cuando pueden vivir la pérdida de los pacientes en un ambiente protegido y se sienten apoyados por las personas que los rodean. A su vez, reconocen que existen factores externos e internos que facilitan el proceso de afrontamiento del duelo dentro de los equipos. Este apoyo se percibe como insuficiente, dado que no existe un apoyo formal por parte de la institución; se carece de un periodo de duelo protegido y hay una deficiencia en el apoyo de los profesionales de la salud mental a los equipos. Todas las experiencias descritas anteriormente, ayudan a los profesionales a trascender su dolor a partir del aprendizaje permanente y logran dar sentido a su trabajo diario. A continuación, se analizará cada una de las unidades de sentido develadas (Figura 1).
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