Provision of bereavement care in neonatal units in the United Kingdom*
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish what bereavement care services are available in neonatal units in the United Kingdom and to establish the availability to staff (doctors, nurses, and chaplains) of bereavement education, training, communication, and multicultural support. For families who lose a baby in the neonatal period, the support they receive from hospital staff can be pivotal in their ability to cope with their grief. Hospital staff are not always trained to provide this support. Limited evidence is available regarding hospital-based bereavement care in neonatology or its impact on outcome. INTERVENTIONS: Questionnaire survey of selected doctors, nurses, and chaplains in 200 neonatal units in the United Kingdom. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We had responses from 100% of neonatal units surveyed. Of 600 individuals, 320 responded; 11% of doctors had never received any formal training in bereavement care, compared with 0.8% of nurses and 1.2% and chaplains. In addition, 31% of respondents thought the training they received was inadequate. Knowledge of grief theorists was poor. Up to 99% of units were helping parents create memories through photographs or handprints. Parents were uniformly given the chance to be with their baby at the time of death (99% overall). Siblings were encouraged to be present 71% of the time; 75% of respondents felt that information about the needs of different faith groups was available. Formal psychological support was offered to 45% of families after bereavement. CONCLUSIONS: Studies have shown that parents value clear communication, education about grieving, and demonstrated emotional support by staff. Our study has shown that there are deficiencies in staff training and education in this area. Educators must promote the inclusion of content on bereavement/end-of-life care. Additional education on cultural issues would be helpful. Managing the bereavement process well to minimize morbidity for families and healthcare providers is an important challenge for the future.
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31% of those who received training said it was inadequate.
“31 % of those who received training said it was inadequate [24].”
From Systematic review to understand and improve care after stillbirth: a review of parents’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences (2016) · cites this paper as [24]
Inadequate staff training was identified by staff and parents as impacting upon care provision for bereaved parents.
“Inadequate staff training was identified by staff and parents as impacting upon care provision for bereaved parents [22–25].”
From Systematic review to understand and improve care after stillbirth: a review of parents’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences (2016) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Robertson, M. J. P., Aldridge, A., & Curley, A. E.
- Affiliations
- Addenbrooke's Hospital (GB)
- Venue
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
- Published
- 2011-05
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e111-e115
- ISSN
- 1529-7535 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2085444976
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Keywords
- neonatal unit, bereavement support, chaplaincy, end-of-life care, parental grief, psychological support for families
- MeSH terms
- Bereavement, Clergy, Counseling, United Kingdom, Humans, Infant Mortality, Infant, Newborn, Inservice Training, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Medical Staff, Hospital, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Cultural Diversity
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