Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

BMJ Support Palliat Care 2020 Jul 9. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System, Singapore

Objectives: Death is a significant event that affects healthcare providers emotionally. We aimed to determine internal medicine (IM) and paediatric (PD) residents' responses and the impact on the residents following patient deaths, and to compare any differences between IM and PD residents. We also aimed to determine whether sufficient resources and measures were in place to support residents through their grief process. Read More

JMIR Res Protoc 2020 Jul 5;9(7):e17561. Epub 2020 Jul 5.

School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.

Background: A novel evidence-based Narrative e-Writing Intervention (NeW-I) has been developed and tested in Singapore to advance psychosociospiritual support for parents of children with chronic life-threatening illnesses. NeW-I is informed by an international systematic review and a Singapore-based qualitative inquiry on the lived experience of parental bereavement and supported by literature on anticipatory grief interventions for improving the holistic well-being of parent caregivers of seriously ill children.

Objective: This study's aim was to provide an accessible platform, NeW-I-which is a strengths- and meaning-focused and therapist-facilitated mobile app and web-based counseling platform-that aims to enhance quality of life, spiritual well-being, hope, and perceived social support and reduce depressive symptoms, caregiver burden, and risk of complicated grief among parents of children with chronic life-threatening illnesses. Read More

Eye (Lond) 2020 Jul 28;34(7):1287-1295. Epub 2020 May 28.

School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.

Objective: Older adults with vision impairment experience high rates of mental health problems, but very few access psychological support. We investigated community and stakeholder perspectives of the barriers and facilitators to participation in mental well-being programs for older adults with vision impairment.

Methods: Adults aged ≥ 50 years with vision impairment (community) were recruited from the client database, and low vision rehabilitation (LVR) professionals (stakeholders) from staff of a LVR provider. Read More

Nurs Stand 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Faculty of Life Science and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, Wales.

When a patient dies, it is important that nurses understand their role in the verification of death. This article explains the steps required to verify the death of an adult patient. Verification of death is not a mechanistic task, but one that requires sensitivity and compassion. Read More

BMC Womens Health 2020 May 24;20(1):112. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Infertility remains a common universal disorder and a whole range of assisted reproductive technologies has been established. Society may fail to recognize the grief caused by infertility, which may lead to those struggling with it hiding their feelings. Previous research points out that infertile persons experience shortcomings in fertility care regarding continuity of care and social support. Read More

J Adv Nurs 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

St Vincent's Health Australia Sydney, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne & Australian Catholic University Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Aim: To synthesise qualitative studies of patients' families' experiences and perceptions of end-of-life care in the intensive care unit when life-sustaining treatments are withdrawn.

Design: Qualitative meta-synthesis DATA SOURCES: Comprehensive search of 18 electronic databases for qualitative studies published between January 2005 - February 2019.

Review Method: Meta-aggregation. Read More

Palliat Support Care 2020 May 7:1-6. Epub 2020 May 7.

Victoria Hospice, Education and Research, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Objective: At the end of life, the need for care increases. Yet, for structurally vulnerable populations (i.e. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 04 26;17(9). Epub 2020 Apr 26.

REMEDI Emergency Department, Royal Derby Hospital, Uttoxeter Rd, Derby DE22 3NE, UK.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) will undoubtedly have psychological impacts for healthcare workers, which could be sustained; frontline workers will be particularly at risk. Actions are needed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health by protecting and promoting the psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers during and after the outbreak. We developed and evaluated a digital learning package using Agile methodology within the first three weeks of UK outbreak. Read More

Can J Anaesth 2020 Jul 2;67(7):857-865. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Division of Palliative Care, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Purpose: When people die in intensive care units (ICUs), as many as half of their family members may experience a severe grief reaction. While families report a need for bereavement support, most ICUs do not routinely follow-up with family members. Clinicians are typically involved in supporting families during death and dying, yet little is known about how they work with families in bereavement. Read More

J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care 2020 Apr-Jun;16(2):151-174. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

College of Nursing, University South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.

Complicated grief (CG) poses significant physical, psychological, and economic risks to bereaved family caregivers. An integrative review of the literature published 2009-2018 on CG associated with caregiving was performed using PubMed, PsychINFO, and Web of Science. The search returned 1428 articles, of which 32 were included in the review. Read More

J Hosp Palliat Nurs 2020 Jun;22(3):180-187

Barbara Ann Leteta, MN, RN, completed graduate studies with Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, AB, Canada. Shelley Raffin Bouchal, PhD, MN, RN, is associate professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, AB, Canada. Bev Berg, MSW, is director, Palliative and End of Life Care, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada. Shane Sinclair, PhD, is associate professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.

Although there is an increased need for delivery of bereavement care, many health care providers in acute care hospital settings feel inadequately prepared to deliver quality grief support, have lack of time, and have inexperience in provision of bereavement care. As a result, although families would like health care providers to offer bereavement support, they are inadequately trained and susceptible to burnout, resulting in families not having their needs met. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the social process occurring in a bereavement education workshop titled "How to Care, What to Say" offered to health care providers. Read More

BMC Palliat Care 2020 Mar 12;19(1):28. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: The availability of interventions for bereaved parents have increased. However, most are practice based. To enhance the implementation of bereavement care for parents, an overview of interventions which are replicable and evidence-based are needed. Read More

BMC Psychol 2020 Feb 17;8(1):18. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Emeritus Professor Family Practice & Pediatrics, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Background: Bereaved parents experience higher rates of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms after the stillbirth of a baby than after live-birth. Yet, these effects remain underreported in the literature and, consequently, insufficiently addressed in health provider education and practice. We conducted a participatory based study to explore the experiences of grieving parents during their interaction with health care providers during and after the stillbirth of a baby. Read More

Death Stud 2020 Feb 12:1-11. Epub 2020 Feb 12.

Department of Education, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.

The current study aimed to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Meaning Making in Grief Scale based on contemporary approaches to bereavement adaptation as a meaning reconstruction process. The research entailed three steps: scale development, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The current 21-item scale was composed of three subscales: Meaning of the Significant Other, Being Present, and Coping and Growth. Read More

Transplant Direct 2020 Jan 12;6(1):e512. Epub 2019 Dec 12.

Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

The organ donation process is complex and stressful for the family of the potential donor and members of the multidisciplinary team who may experience grief, ethical dilemmas, vicarious trauma, or compassion fatigue. Several studies each explore the role of a specific healthcare group and the impact of inhospital processes on group members. We conducted a systematic literature search to identify such studies and a qualitative synthesis to consolidate findings and highlight features of the interaction and relationships between role players. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2020 May 26;149(2):137-147. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

University College London, London, UK.

Objective: To develop global consensus on a set of evidence-based core principles for bereavement care after stillbirth.

Methods: A modified policy-Delphi methodology was used to consult international stakeholders and healthcare workers with experience in stillbirth between September 2017 and October 2018. Five sequential rounds involved two expert stakeholder meetings and three internet-based surveys, including a global internet-based survey targeted at healthcare workers in a wide range of settings. Read More

Psychooncology 2020 04 5;29(4):671-680. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Objectives: Body image (BI) remains a significant survivorship challenge among breast cancer (BC) survivors. We describe an 8-week group intervention-restoring body image after cancer (ReBIC)-developed to target BI distress for BC survivors.

Methods: The intervention was informed by interviews with BC survivors and by a descriptive, exploratory approach which adapted guided imagery exercises to address BI. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 01 21;17(3). Epub 2020 Jan 21.

UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.

Bereavement is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric morbidity and all-cause mortality, particularly in younger people and after unnatural deaths. Substance misuse is implicated but little research has investigated patterns of drug or alcohol use after bereavement. We used a national online survey to collect qualitative data describing whether and how substance use changes after sudden bereavement. Read More

J Sch Health 2020 03 19;90(3):165-171. Epub 2020 Jan 19.

Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Center Director (Delaware Valley) and Principal Research Scientist, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE, 19803.

Background: Bereaved children often struggle in the school environment and school personnel often feel inadequately prepared to support them. This pilot study explored the experiences and opinions of school staff regarding approaches to addressing the needs of bereaved students in the classroom.

Methods: Teachers/school personnel (N = 29) completed written open-ended questions about their experiences with bereaved students and opinions regarding a bereavement-focused accommodation (ie, 504) plan. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2020 02 8;284:112766. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

In China, parents who have lost their only child and remained childless are labelled Shidu () parents. Previous research suggests high levels of psychological distress in this population, yet little is known regarding the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) based on the new ICD-11 formulation. The present study examined prevalence rates and associated factors of prolonged grief disorder in this population. Read More

Omega (Westport) 2020 Jan 9:30222819899501. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Oranim Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel.

This qualitative study examines the experiences of 16 Israeli high school homeroom teachers coping with the death of a student from their class. We used in-depth, semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Analysis of the findings revealed three key themes: (a) After their initial sense of shock and pain upon learning of the death of one of their students, the homeroom teachers were immediately asked to convey the bad news to their class. Read More

J Palliat Care 2020 Jul 15;35(3):135-142. Epub 2019 Dec 15.

Prince George Hospice Society, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.

Background: Informal caregiver support programs offered by hospice organizations support the health and wellbeing of clients and caregivers. However, an understanding of the best practices for informal caregiver support programs currently undertaken across Canada remains unknown, particularly across the province of British Columbia.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe what existing resources and supports are provided by hospice organizations for informal caregivers of persons who are nearing end of life or who are recently bereaved in British Columbia, Canada. Read More

Rehabil Psychol 2019 Dec 12. Epub 2019 Dec 12.

H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Objective: The Traumatic Brain Injury Caregiver Quality of Life (TBI-CareQOL) is a patient-reported outcome measurement system that is specific to caregivers of civilians and service members/veterans (SMVs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This measurement system includes 26 item banks that represent both generic (i.e. Read More

J Christ Nurs 2020 Jan/Mar;37(1):E4-E8

Morgan Yordy, DNP, RN-BC, ACNS-BC, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Auburn University, Auburn, AL. She teaches primarily in the undergraduate program. Her research interests include animal-assisted activities, health promotion, and collaboration. Julie Hare, MDiv, BSN, is Director of Congregational Care at Auburn United Methodist Church, Auburn, AL. She coordinates care ministries including hospital visitation and grief support. Rev. Hare launched the REACH Ministry in 2016.

As the North American population of older adults increases, so does the need for nursing students to gain skills in geriatric care. Locating appropriate clinical sites for undergraduate students, including community and health promotion opportunities, prompted a public university's school of nursing to partner with a faith-based respite program. The collaboration between a public educational institution and a church-based program benefited the geriatric participants, the program leadership, and the nursing students and faculty. Read More

Rural Remote Health 2019 11 30;19(4):5444. Epub 2019 Nov 30.

Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, The University of Western Australia, 167 Fitzgerald Street, Geraldton, Western Australia 6530, Australia

Introduction: Indigenous patients with life-limiting conditions have complex needs, experience reduced access to and uptake of treatment, and have lower utilisation of palliative care services than the general population. Lack of understanding of the role of palliative care and poor availability of culturally safe specialist palliative care services impact on Indigenous people's end-of-life decision-making.

Methods: To understand Aboriginal people's perspectives and experiences at the end of life, an exploratory study using facilitated group discussions in community settings in a region of Western Australia was undertaken. Read More

PLoS One 2019 27;14(11):e0224325. Epub 2019 Nov 27.

Office of Education, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Medical education experts argue that grief support training for physicians would improve physician and patient and family wellness, and should therefore be mandatory. However, there is little evidence about the range of curricula interventions or the impact of grief training. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the current landscape of grief training worldwide in medical school, postgraduate residency and continuing professional development in the disciplines of pediatrics, family medicine and psychiatry. Read More

Am J Ophthalmol 2020 04 23;212:98-104. Epub 2019 Nov 23.

Social & Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Purpose: To explore the experiences of parents of sons with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS).

Design: Mixed methods-qualitative interviews with quantitative survey.

Methods: Parents of sons with XLRS who were evaluated at the National Eye Institute between December 2017 and January 2019 were eligible for this study. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 11 19;9(11):e032582. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Club Rainbow, Singapore, Singapore.

Objective: This is the first known study which examines the evolutionary nature of spousal interaction patterns among Asian parents of children with chronic life-threatening illness, from the time of providing care to their child through bereavement. This study is informed by earlier findings that when a child is diagnosed with a chronic life-threatening illness, parents are faced with multiple stressors, leaving them with little time to invest in their spousal relationship.

Participants And Setting: A constructivist-phenomenological research paradigm was adopted and meaning-oriented interviews were conducted with 20 parental units (i. Read More

J Emerg Med 2019 Nov 16. Epub 2019 Nov 16.

Department of Pastoral Services, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware.

Background: The nature of death in the emergency department (ED) may put survivors at higher risk for complicated bereavement. Access to bereavement care could mitigate this, but many EDs do not include bereavement follow-up as part of their routine practice.

Objective: We describe the implementation at our institution of ED Grief Support, a program developed to extend care to the bereaved through in-person, telephone, and e-mail follow-up for 1 year after the death of a loved one. Read More

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020 02 6;35(2):213-222. Epub 2019 Dec 6.

Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.

Background: The experience of grief in family caregivers as they provide care for persons with dementia is often overlooked. The Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI) is one among the few scales that capture such experiences. In a recent study, MM-CGI was found to contain three subscales identifying dimensions of loss in caregivers-Personal-Sacrifice Burden (PSB), Heartfelt Sadness, Longing, and Worry (HSLW), and Felt Isolation (FI). Read More

Ann Palliat Med 2020 Feb 14;9(Suppl 1):S24-S33. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, CO 80045, USA.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with caregiver burden. Higher rates of burden are associated with adverse outcomes for caregivers and patients. Our aim was to understand patient and caregiver predictors of caregiver burden in PD from a palliative care approach. Read More

Animals (Basel) 2019 Nov 7;9(11). Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan (UNIMI), 20133 Milan, Italy.

People often develop strong emotional connections with their dogs and consider them to be members of the family. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel validated tool, the Mourning Dog Questionnaire, to recognise and evaluate the mourning process in people who have lost a dog. The research model was based on a grid of five different questionnaires: the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire, the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale, the Animal-Human Continuity Scale, the Positivity Scale, and the Testoni Death Representation Scale. Read More

Depress Anxiety 2020 01 17;37(1):90-98. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.

In the United States alone, about 10 million persons are newly bereaved each year. Most do not require professional intervention or treatment, but many can benefit from targeted support. However, a significant minority of bereaved persons experience intense, prolonged and disabling grief symptoms associated with considerable morbidity and mortality (aka, "Complicated Grief"). Read More

Omega (Westport) 2019 Sep 23:30222819876477. Epub 2019 Sep 23.

College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Child loss is the most traumatic loss a parent can experience, increasing their risk of negative outcomes such as complicated grief. Unexpected loss in the unfamiliar environment of the Emergency Department (ED) significantly increases this risk. Despite this knowledge, research on child loss in the context of the ED is scarce. Read More

Midwifery 2019 Dec 23;79:102531. Epub 2019 Aug 23.

Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.

Objective: To report on research conducted on men's experiences of grief and loss following stillbirth and neonatal death in high-income, Western countries.

Design: This review was guided by the following research questions: 1. The impact of perinatal death for men 2. Read More

Eat Behav 2019 12 24;35:101334. Epub 2019 Aug 24.

St. Paul's Hospital Eating Disorders Program, Vancouver, Canada; University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver, Canada.

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) endorse fears of being self-compassionate, as assessed by the Fears of Compassion for Self scale (FCSelf; Gilbert, McEwan, Matos, & Rivis, 2011), and higher fears predict poorer treatment outcomes. Previous research using the FCSelf demonstrated a single factor solution in a non-clinical sample.

Objectives: This research sought to explore the factor structure of the FCSelf in a clinical population and to examine correlations with associated constructs. Read More

Nurs Res 2019 Sep/Oct;68(5):E1-E9

Lucero del Mar Lizcano Pabón, BSN, MSN, is Coordinator of Education in Nursing, Hospital Militar Central, Bogotá, Colombia. At the time this research was completed, she was a Graduate Student, La Universidad de La Sabana, Bogotá, Colombia. María Elisa Moreno Fergusson, BSN, DSN, is Professor, La Universidad de La Sabana, Bogotá, Colombia. At the time this research was completed, she was Dean and Professor, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, La Universidad de La Sabana, Bogotá, Colombia. Ana M. Palacios, MA, MD, is PhD Candidate, Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.

Background: Although perinatal deaths are still a common pregnancy outcome in developing countries, little is known about the effect perinatal death has on fathers.

Objective: The aim of the study was to understand and describe the meaning of perinatal death in a sample of fathers from northeastern Colombia.

Methods: Using purposive and snowball sampling approaches, we identified 15 participants from northeastern Colombia who agreed to participate. Read More

J Trauma Stress 2019 10 28;32(5):774-783. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

There are multiple well-established evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, recent clinical trials have shown that combat-related PTSD in military populations is less responsive to evidence-based treatments than PTSD in most civilian populations. Traumatic death of a close friend or colleague is a common deployment-related experience for active duty military personnel. Read More

Women Birth 2020 Jul 4;33(4):401-407. Epub 2019 Aug 4.

School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Objectives: In Australia, 15-20% of pregnancies result in miscarriage, and 0.69% in stillbirth. Pregnancy loss is a distressing experience for parents, with many turning to their own parents for support. Read More

Palliat Med 2019 09 28;33(8):1114-1124. Epub 2019 Jun 28.

1 Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.

Background: Specialist palliative care services have various configurations of staff, processes and interventions, which determine how care is delivered. Currently, there is no consistent way to define and distinguish these different models of care.

Aim: To identify the core components that characterise and differentiate existing models of specialist palliative care in the United Kingdom. Read More

Soc Sci Med 2019 07 19;232:460-469. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark; Palliative Care Team, Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Noerrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.

Background: Most individuals adjust to the loss of a close person, but some experience adverse grief that challenges everyday life. No previous study has examined the development of grief symptoms in trajectories over time. We aimed to investigate trajectories of grief symptoms in bereaved partners and non-partners of severely ill patients starting before death until three years after death of the patient. Read More

Omega (Westport) 2019 Jun 21:30222819856146. Epub 2019 Jun 21.

Aarhus University, Denmark.

This article explores the relationship between grief and best friendship (BF) dynamics among adolescent girls. Based on a qualitative interview study with 10 Danish girls, findings suggest that bereavement affects friendship dynamics in ways that challenge the by-standing friend in succeeding with being and staying supportive. Through a thematic analysis, we identify 12 themes that cut across the case stories, all of which testify to the difficulties bereavement represent to friendship quality and maintenance. Read More

Am J Nurs 2019 07;119(7):24-33

Ronit Fallek is program director of the Healing Arts Program in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Health System, Bronx, NY. Ellen Tattelman is an assistant professor and the director of education in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore, and Terysia Browne is the research coordinator for the department. Randi Kaplan is the director of Montefiore's Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center. Peter A. Selwyn is chair of the Department of Family and Social Medicine and director of Montefiore's Palliative Care Service. Contact author: Ronit Fallek, The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

: Background: Grief and loss are significant issues for health care providers, who may witness their patients' pain and suffering, experience feelings of grief as a result of caring for sick and dying people, and reexperience their own past losses. Unaddressed grief can lead to many issues for providers, their patients, and the health care system as a whole.

Methods: Healing Loss: A Residential Workshop for Montefiore Associates is an experiential and educational program aimed at helping professional caregivers to identify and process grief and loss. Read More

Sociol Health Illn 2019 11 7;41(8):1473-1487. Epub 2019 Jun 7.

School of Education and iHuman, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.

This paper is built upon an assumption: that social theory can be generated through a meaningful engagement with a co-researcher group of disabled young people. Our co-researchers are theoretical provocateurs and theorists in their own right who, through their activism and writing, are challenging us to reconsider the meaning of life, death and disability. Their work on our funded Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project has enabled us to consider the promise and potential of humanist and posthuman epistemologies, theories, methodologies, interventions and activisms. Read More

Nurs Crit Care 2019 07 29;24(4):229-234. Epub 2019 May 29.

University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.

Deceased organ donation represents a major source of organs for human transplantation practice. In the United Kingdom, as well as other parts of the world, donation after circulatory death accounts for a proportion of all deceased organ donors. Organ and tissue donation emotively takes place in the context of dying, death and bereavement, yet little is known about the family experience of donation after circulatory death. Read More

Arch Dis Child 2019 09 11;104(9):837-843. Epub 2019 May 11.

Department of Critical Care & Paediatric Bioethics Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.

Objective: A proportion of children die, making them potentially eligible to be organ/tissue donors. Not all are approached for donation, and experiences of those parents are not well understood. The objective was to investigate to what extent organ and tissue donation (OTD) is discussed as part of end-of-life care and to explore parents' and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) experiences. Read More

Int Psychogeriatr 2019 08;31(8):1099-1107

Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.

Objective: The study of predeath grief is hampered by measures that are often lengthy and not clearly differentiated from other caregiving outcomes, most notably burden. We aimed to validate a new 11-item Caregiver Grief Questionnaire (CGQ) assessing two dimensions of predeath grief, namely relational deprivation and emotional pain.

Design: Cross-sectional survey. Read More

Oncol Nurs Forum 2019 05;46(3):338-347

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Objectives: To develop an evidence-based compassion fatigue program and evaluate its impact on nurse-reported burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction, as well as correlated factors of resilience and coping behaviors.

Sample & Setting: The quality improvement pilot program was conducted with 59 nurses on a 20-bed subspecialty pediatric oncology unit at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Read More