Suicide postvention for staff and students on university campuses: a scoping review

A Qualitative Exploration of Nurse Faculty Experiences Related to the Sudden Unanticipated Death of a Nursing Student

BACKGROUND

Nurse faculty serve as teachers, role models, and mentors to nursing students. This unique relationship results in a myriad of feelings when a student dies. Limited research exists in examining faculty grief related to the sudden unanticipated death of a nursing student.

PURPOSE

To explore the experiences of nurse faculty following the sudden unanticipated death of a nursing student.

METHODS

Researchers conducted a phenomenological qualitative study. The source of qualitative data included a demographic questionnaire and in-depth interviews with 13 participants throughout the geographical regions of the United States.

RESULTS

Six following themes emerged: (1) leadership response, (2) grief experience, (3) role uncertainty, (4) grief triggers, (5) cannot help but think what if, and (6) acknowledging a life unfulfilled.

CONCLUSION

This study yields a rich understanding of the unique grief experiences of nurse faculty, warranting the need for further dialogue, faculty education, policy development, and supportive interventions for faculty and administrative leaders.

Supports for university counselors impacted by student suicide: A systematic review and thematic synthesis

The purpose of this systematic review and thematic synthesis was to identify and consolidate research on the support needs of impacted Higher Education (HE) counselors that have experienced a student suicide death. When exposed to a student suicide death, counselors are often extensively involved in a postvention response. This systematic review synthesized four qualitative papers that explored the experiences of staff impacted by student suicide. Thematic synthesis revealed three core themes: The unknown, responding, and the known, and six subthemes: Gaps in knowledge of individual experience, gaps in knowledge of organizational impact, extrospective responding, introspective responding, the needs of impacted counselors, the degree of impact, and the support processes that arise from needs. The results provide a summary of the current supports available to impacted HE counselors and considerations relevant to their postvention needs.