title: A hospital-based neonatal intensive care unit bereavement follow-up program: an evaluation of its effectiveness.
abstract: Health care professionals strive to meet the needs of patients and families in a holistic approach. With the death of a newborn, many challenges arise that cause health care professionals to question their abilities to provide adequate grief support. The death of a newborn is unnatural and evokes many unresolved feelings about death that society has not recognized. A bereavement program in an NICU can provide consistent support for grieving families. This article evaluates several aspects of a hospital-based bereavement follow-up program by comparing its first year and a subsequent year. Establishing a bereavement program and outlining responsibilities for staff involvement are also addressed.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D001601:Bereavement; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D009017:Morbidity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support