Reasons why of nurses empaty with newborn families in neonatal ICU

Attitudes Toward Neonatal Palliative Care Among Turkish Nurses and Physicians: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study

Few studies have examined and compared neonatal physicians' and nurses' attitudes toward palliative care. This comparative study sought to evaluate attitudes toward neonatal palliative care in neonatal nurses and physicians and identify associated facilitators and barriers. This comparative, cross-sectional study included 173 neonatal intensive care unit staff (149 neonatal nurses and 24 neonatal physicians) in 2 hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected using the Turkish version of the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale. The results of the study revealed 8 facilitators and 9 barriers to neonatal palliative care. Nurses were significantly more likely than physicians to agree that parents are informed about palliative care options in their unit ( P = .008), that caring for dying infants is traumatic ( P = .007), and that their willingness to provide palliative care is influenced by their personal attitudes toward death ( P = .015). This study demonstrates the importance of parents' active involvement in the palliative care process, the establishment of standard policies and guidelines, and the provision of vocational and in-service education programs to support palliative care. Initiatives to strengthen facilitators and mitigate barriers are needed to optimize the implementation of palliative care in NICUs.

Communication of bad news in the context of neonatal palliative care: experience of intensivist nurses

OBJECTIVES

To know the experiences of nurses in neonatal intensive care units in the face of the process of communicating bad news to the family of newborns in palliative care.

METHODS

Study with a descriptive qualitative approach, in which 17 professionals participated. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview script, from December/2018 to February/2019, and submitted to content analysis.

RESULTS

Four theoretical categories emerged, with 11 subcategories inserted: meanings attributed to bad news; nursing as a support for the family; difficulties in dealing with the process of communicating bad news; nursing and involvement with the family's suffering.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The challenges to deal with the situation are related to lack of preparation, impotence, and subjectivities. The results broaden knowledge on the subject and enable the improvement of nursing care in this context.