Learning about maternal death and grief in the profession: a pilot qualitative study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to explore the impact of maternal death on maternity professionals, and their related professional and personal needs.


METHODS
A qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews in a UK inner-city academic maternity unit with over 5000 deliveries annually. Purposive sampling was utilized and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed with 14 healthcare professionals: four midwives, five doctors in training grades (trainees) and five consultant obstetricians. Identification of key themes was derived by textual analysis.


RESULTS
Five main themes were identified: professional culture, organizational culture and external expectation; personal blame and debriefing; professional training; shaping the training; support and counseling. Maternal death has a major impact on professionals' feelings of grief, guilt and shame, which they are reluctant to talk about. Maternity professionals expressed a desire for training to prepare themselves to respond effectively in the event of maternal death. There was ambiguity about "debriefing" within a changing institutional culture.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal death is a devastating consequence of pregnancy. If these findings are replicated by interviewing a greater number and breadth of maternity professionals, then healthcare institutions need to develop appropriate training to prepare and help staff, which should improve the support they can give to the bereaved and to each other.
Imperial College, London, UK.
Matthew
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2366-3133
M
Cauldwell
Women's Health Academic Centre, King's College London, London, UK.
Lucy C
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6219-3379
LC
Chappell
Imperial College, London, UK.
Ged
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5088-5121
G
Murtagh
Women's Health Academic Centre, King's College London, London, UK.
Susan
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8064-652X
S
Bewley
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008131:London; D063130:Maternal Death; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research
Maternal death; debriefing; grief; professionalism; training