Coping of the nursing team in the death-dying process in a neonatal unit

Abstract

Objective

This understanding is essential to subsidize interventions of nursing professionals in order to care for families.

Method

A qualitative study in descriptive exploratory approach involved ten nursing professionals. Recollected stories collected from professionals in the care of the process of death and dying in neonatology was the means for data collection. Data organization, treatment and analysis was based on Bardin’s content analysis and the software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires.

Results

Two categories emerged from the analysis interface and the foundations of Skinner’s Motivational Theory of Coping, nursing staff and Motivational Theory of Coping in death in neonatology; Threat regulatory action and coping with death in neonatology. The coping strategies of the nursing team studied show that cognitive patterns and behavioral responses refer to the very way of dealing with the daily suffering experienced in the family, where professionals seek information to overcome the threat, a coping with helplessness and escape from welcoming.

Conclusion

The self-referential processes experienced in stressful situations by nursing professionals favor empathy, bonding and communication with the family of infants. The indicators of frailty in training remain predisposing to difficulties in coping with death-dying.

Nursing team; Intensive care units neonatal; Attitude to death; Death; Infant newborn