Ward staff experiences of patient death in an acute medical setting
Janet Wilson Senior lecturer in nursing, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
Aim To explore how ward staff, including nurses and healthcare support workers, experience patient death in an acute medical setting.
Method Thirteen staff, from two acute medical wards for patients with respiratory conditions, were interviewed about their experiences of patient death. A Heideggerian phenomenological approach was used to gather and analyse the data.
Findings Three main themes were identified: responses, influences and support. These themes were further subdivided into preliminary themes that reflected the social psychology literature. Participants often experienced grief following the death of a patient and the effects on staff were not always recognised or acknowledged by managers.
Conclusion This study contributes new knowledge about staff experiences of patient death in the acute setting. The findings could have implications for clinical practice and the provision of support for nursing staff, and could also inform future policies regarding end of life care in this setting.
Nursing Standard.
28, 37, 37-45.
doi: 10.7748/ns.28.37.37.e7949
Peer review
This article has been subject to double blind peer review
Received: 03 June 2013
Accepted: 10 January 2014
Want to read more?
Already have access? Log in
or
3-month trial offer for £5.25/month
Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
- Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
- RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
- NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
- A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe
Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days.
Buy now
Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more