What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to understand how health care professionals cope after pediatric patient deaths and the resources they use for support.

May 25, 2026

Dealing with Death: Health Care Professional Perspectives after Pediatric Patient Death

Key Points

The aim is to understand how health care professionals cope after pediatric patient deaths and the resources they use for support.
Qualitative study using one-on-one semistructured interviews with health care professionals in a U.S. tertiary children's hospital.
Participants included various health care roles, clinical environments, and experience levels.
Data analysis employed grounded theory in an inductive manner.
22 health care professionals completed interviews, revealing diverse coping experiences after patient death.
Three major themes emerged: reliance on professional community for support, a strong sense of duty impacting care practices, and the pursuit of meaning after patient loss.
The findings highlight opportunities for health care institutions to provide better support for professionals coping with patient death.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many pediatric health care professionals (HCPs) experience patient death and continue to carry out their clinical roles, including caring for the child's family immediately after being impacted by a child's death. Yet, HCPs are often overlooked as those who experience grief and require support in the coping process themselves. OBJECTIVES: To identify the variety of ways HCPs cope and the resources they utilize when dealing with a patient death. DESIGN: Qualitative study with one-on-one semistructured interviews. SETTING/SUBJECTS: HCPs at a U.S. tertiary children's hospital across different professional disciplines (medical decision makers, treatment implementers, and psychosocial support providers), different clinical environments (critical care units, medical units, emergency room, and outpatient), and a range of health care experience (from 20 years). MEASUREMENTS: Data were analyzed using grounded theory and in an inductive manner. Factors and themes were identified in an iterative process. RESULTS: Briefly, 22 HCPs completed an interview. A multitude of factors influence HCPs' experience after pediatric patient death. Three major themes were identified: (1) HCPs rely on their professional community for processing and coping after patient death, (2) HCPs have a deep sense of duty toward each other and toward patients/families, which may drive their desire for knowledge and practice improvement, and (3) HCPs seek to make meaning following patient death. CONCLUSIONS: Health care institutions and their leaders have many opportunities to support HCPs after patient death.

Ask AI

Helpful

Bookmark