Nursing in the presence of grief: Nurses’ experiences supporting caregivers before and after death in hospital settings
Trine-Lise Eknes, May Aasebø HaukenBackground
Supporting caregivers before and after patients’ death is a core component of palliative care, yet bereavement support in hospitals settings often remain inconsistent and fragmented. Although nurses frequently interact with bereaved caregivers within this timeframe, limited knowledge exists about their experiences in providing bereavement support.
Objectives
To explore nurses’ experiences of supporting caregivers before and after patient’s death.
Design
A qualitative study with an interpretive description design.
Methods
Twenty-three registered nurses from 10 somatic wards across four Norwegian hospitals participated in six focus group interviews. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed by using Systematic Text Condensation.
Results
Four main themes were identified: (1) Building relationship and communication with caregivers before death, (2) Navigating complex and emotionally demanding situations at the end-of-life care, (3) A need for greater bereavement competence and multidisciplinary collaboration, and (4) Gaps in continuity of bereavement care. Each theme comprised two subthemes that further illuminated nurses’ experiences.
Conclusion
Nurses play a pivotal role in supporting bereaved caregivers before and after death in hospital settings. However, nurses reported emotionally demanding and complex situations, limited bereavement competence, and a lack of structured clinical routines and referral pathways to ensure continuity of care. Strengthening bereavement training, enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration, and establishing clear procedures for follow-up and referral to community-based support may improve the quality and continuity of bereavement care.