Peer-supported storytelling for grieving pediatric oncology nurses.
Telling stories about deceased patients to supportive peers is frequently mentioned as an activity used for meaning-making in anecdotal reports of clinical practice and the literature addressing nurses' experiences caring for dying children. This study examines peer-supported storytelling for grieving pediatric oncology nurses using a mixed methods single-group descriptive repeated measures design. Participants were 6 registered nurses from a tertiary care pediatric hospital inpatient oncology unit who self-identified as experiencing grief. Participants met in self-selected dyads for 2 storytelling sessions. Questionnaires were completed at baseline, midpoint, and study end. Sessions were audio-recorded. Participants reported (1) receiving and providing support during sessions; (2) that sessions had an impact on their grief; (3) that sessions had an impact on their meaning-making, and the explicit session focus on making sense of and identifying benefit in their experiences was particularly helpful. There was a significant positive correlation between participant report of number of special patient deaths during career and impact of sessions on grief.
Macpherson
Catherine Fiona
CF
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington, USA. cfmacph@u.washington.edu
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D033262:Narration; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*