Nurses’ coping with the unexpected death of children and adolescents

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15253/2175-6783.20181933087

Keywords:

Pediatric Nursing; Death; Stress Disorders, Traumatic.

Abstract

Objective: to understand the coping strategies nurses use to cope with unexpected death in pediatrics. Methods: qualitative research involving six nursing professionals working in pediatric emergency and intensive care services. Content analysis was performed. Results: two groups of categories emerged from the data describing coping processes: strategies focused on assessing the situation in which the professionals try, through rational processes, to understand and accept the unexpected death; strategies focused on emotional management, in which the suffering resulting from the confrontation coping with the unexpected death is acknowledged, seeking strategies to better manage the event. Conclusion: the professionals suffer and seek coping mechanisms to manage the process of mourning over the unexpected death of a child/adolescent.

References

Mealer M, Jones J, Meek P. Factors affecting resilience and development of posttraumatic stress disorder in critical care nurses. Am J Crit Care. 2017; 26(3):184-92. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2017798

O’Malley P, Barata I, Snow S. Death of a child in the emergency department. J Emerg Nurs. 2014; 40(4):301-4. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2014.05.002

Boer J, Rikxoort S, Bakker AB, Smit B J. Critical incidents among intensive care unit nurses and their need for support: explorative interviews Nurs Crit Care.2014 19(4):166-74 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nicc.12020

Adwan JZ. Pediatric nurses’ grief experience, burnout and job satisfaction. J Pediatr Nurs. 2014; 29(4):329-36. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2014.01.011

Rockembach VJ, Casarin TS, Siqueira HC. Morte pediátrica no cotidiano de trabalho do enfermeiro: sentimentos e estratégias de enfrentamento. Rev Rene [Internet]. 2010 [citado 2018 out. 13];11(2):63-71. Disponível em: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=324027970007

Forster E, Hafiz A. Paediatric death and dying: exploring coping strategies of health professionals and perceptions of support provision. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2015; 21(6):294-301. doi: http.//dx.doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2015.21.6.294

Curcio D. The lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. Pediatr Nurs [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2018 jan. 13]; 43(1):8-14. Available from: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=gc_etds

Meyer RL. Caring for children who die unexpectedly: patterns that emerge out of chaos. J Pediatr Nurs. 2014; 29(1):23-8. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2013.03.008

Mitrousi S, Travlos A, Koukia E, Zyga S. Theoretical approaches to coping. Scand J Caring Sci [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2018 Jan. 23]; 6(2):131-7. Available from: https://www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/14.%20Zyga%20ORIGINAL.pdf

Zheng R, Lee SF, Bloomer MJ. How nurses cope with patient death: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. J Clin Nurs. 2018; 27(1-2):e39-49. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13975

Fontanella BJB, Luchesi BM, Saidel MGB, Ricas J, Turato ER, Melo DG. Amostragem em pesquisas qualitativas: proposta de procedimentos para constatar saturação teórica. Cad Saúde Pública. 2011; 27(2):388-94. doi: https://10.1590/S0102-311X2011000200020

Bardin L. Análise de conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições 70; 2011.

Kellogg MB, Barker M, McCune N. The lived experience of pediatric burn nurses following patient death. Pediatr Nurs [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2018 Jan. 23]; 40(6):297-30. Available from: https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-395845986.html

Stayer D, Lockhart JS. Living with dying in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: a nursing perspective. Am J Crit Care. 2016; 25(4):350-6. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2016251

Lindsay J, Heliker D. The unexpected death of a child and the experience of emergency service personnel. J Emerg Nurs. 2018; 44(1):64-70. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2017.06.002

González MG, Gallego FR, Vargas LF, Hidalgo BA, Alameda GM, Luque CF. El final de la vida en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos desde la perspectiva enfermera: un estudio fenomenológico. Enferm Intensiva. 2011; 22(1):13-21. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enfi.2010.11.003

Kelly L, Runge J, Spencer C. Predictors of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in acute care nurses. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2015; 47(6):522-8. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12162

Hinderer KA, VonRueden KT, Friedmann E, McQuillan KA, Gilmore R, Kramer B, et al. Burnout, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and secondary traumatic stress in trauma nurses. J Trauma Nurs. 2014; 21(4):160-9. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JTN.0000000000000055

Boer J, Van Rikxoort S, Bakker AB, Smit BJ. Critical incidents among intensive care unit nurses and their need for support: explorative interviews. Nurs Crit Care. 2014; 19(4):166-74. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nicc.12020

Gunusen NP, Wilson M, Aksoy B. Secondary traumatic stress and burnout among muslim nurses caring for chronically ill children in a Turkish hospital. J Transcult Nurs. 2018; 29(2):146-54 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1043659616689290

Published

2018-11-27

How to Cite

Lima, L. M. M., Pinto, C. A. S., & Gonçalves, S. M. de B. (2018). Nurses’ coping with the unexpected death of children and adolescents. Rev Rene, 19, e33087. https://doi.org/10.15253/2175-6783.20181933087

Issue

Section

Research Article