The aim was to determine the experiences of Turkish midwives and nurses when caring for families with perinatal loss. It was a descriptive and qualitative study. One-to-one interviews were conducted with ten midwives and five nurses using a semi-structured interview form. It was found that the nurses and midwives experienced pain and grief during caring for women who had perinatal losses, and they tried to relieve these feelings by using positive thinking and prayer. The nurses and midwives stated that they were unsure how to approach women or family experiencing perinatal loss, and they needed mentoring and training. The results showed that it would be beneficial to plan training for nurses and midwives and to conduct mentoring for those experiencing difficulties. For nurses and midwives frequently facing perinatal loss, there will be benefit in planning grief care training at regular intervals and mentoring for those experiencing difficulties.
Ben-EzraM.PalgiY.WalkerR.ManyA.Hamam-RazY. (2014). The impact of perinatal death on obstetrics nurses: A longitudinal and cross-sectional examination. Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 42(1), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2013-0071.
ChanM.LouF.ArthurD.CaoF.WuL.LiP.RosemeyerM.ChungL.LuiL. (2008). Investigating factors associate to nurses’ attitudes towards perinatal bereavement care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(4), 509–518. https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_son/221
4.
De RooseM.TencyI.BeeckmanD.Van HeckeA.VerhaegheS.ClaysE. (2018). Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding miscarriage: A cross-sectional study among Flemish midwives. Midwifery, 56, 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2017.09.017
5.
EllisA.ChebseyC.StoreyC.BradleyS.JacksonS.FlenadyV.HeazellA.SiassakosD. (2016). Systematic review to understand and improve care after stillbirth: A review of parents’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 16, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-0806-2
6.
Fernández-BasantaS.CoronadoC.Movilla-FernándezM. J. (2020). Multicultural coping experiences of parents following perinatal loss: A meta-ethnographic synthesis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(1), 9–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14211
7.
Fernández-BasantaS.Movilla-FernándezM. J.CoronadoC.Llorente-GarcíaH.BondasT. (2020). Involuntary pregnancy loss and nursing care: A meta-ethnography. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1486. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051486
8.
Fernández-BasantaS.CoronadoC.BondasT.Movilla-FernándezM. J. (2021). Primary healthcare midwives’ experiences of caring for parents who have suffered an involuntary pregnancy loss: A phenomenological hermeneutic study. Midwifery, 92, 102863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102863
9.
FlenadyV.BoyleF.KoopmansL.WilsonT.StonesW.CacciatoreJ. (2014). Meeting the needs of parents after a stillbirth or neonatal death. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 121(4), 137–140.
10.
GandinoG.BernaudoA.Di FiniG.VanniI.VegliaF. (2019). Healthcare professionals’ experiences of perinatal loss: A systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 24(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317705981
11.
HuttiM. H. (2005). Social and professional support needs of families after perinatal loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 34(5), 630–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884217505279998
12.
HuttiM. H.ArmstrongD. S.MyersJ. (2013). Evaluation of the perinatal grief intensity scale in the subsequent pregnancy after perinatal loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 42(6), 697–706. https://doi.org/10.1111/1552-6909.12249
13.
HuttiM. H.PolivkaB.WhiteS.HillJ.ClarkP.CookeC.ClemensS.AbellH. (2016). Experiences of nurses who care for women after fetal loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 45(1), 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2015.10.010
14.
Jonas-SimpsonC.PilkingtonF. B.MacDonaldC.McMahonE. (2013). Nurses’ experiences of grieving when there is a perinatal death. SAGE Open, 3(2), 215824401348611. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013486116
15.
KainV. J. (2013). An exploration of the grief experiences of neonatal nurses: A focus group study. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 19(2), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2012.04.001
16.
KroschD. J.Shakespeare-FinchJ. (2017). Grief, traumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth in women who have experienced pregnancy loss. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 9(4), 425–433. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000183
17.
MadridP. A.SchacherS. J. (2006). A critical concern: Pediatrician self-care after disasters. Pediatrics, 117(Supplement 4), S454–S457. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-0099V
18.
McCreightB. S. (2005). Perinatal grief and emotional labour: A study of nurses’ experiences in gynaewards. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 42(4), 439–448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.07.004
RådestadI.MalmM. C.LindgrenH.PetterssonK.LarssonL. L. (2014). Being alone in silence—mothers’ experiences upon confirmation of their baby’s death in utero. Midwifery, 30(3), e91–e95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.10.021
21.
RoehrsC.MastersonA.AllesR.WittC.RuttP. (2008). Caring for families coping with perinatal loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 37(6), 631–639. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-6909.2008.00290.x
22.
ShoreyS.AndréB.LopezV. (2017). The experiences and needs of healthcare professionals facing perinatal death: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 68, 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.12.007
23.
ShaohuaL.ShoreyS. (2021). Psychosocial interventions on psychological outcomes of parents with perinatal loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 117, 103871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103871
24.
WallbankS.RobertsonN. (2013). Predictors of staff distress in response to professionally experienced miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal loss: A questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(8), 1090–1097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.11.022
