A hospital-based neonatal intensive care unit bereavement follow-up program: an evaluation of its effectiveness.
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.
Hodge
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Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232.
Graham
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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