Influence of culture and spiritual tradition on support for families of children dying in intensive care units

Influence of culture and spiritual tradition on support for families of children dying in intensive care units
Journal of Pediatric Nursing; Sung-Jin Jeanie Ju, Janie Ito, Aubree Lin, Dagmar Grefe, Jennifer Baird, Rebecca Ortiz La Banca Barber; 2/25
Parents utilize spirituality as a means of coping during and after a child's death. Complexity of grief associated with loss of a child suggests the paramount importance of providing appropriate support for parents while experiencing their child's critical illness or end of life. Findings indicated three themes that illustrate the end-of-life and bereavement process: 1) Coping during hospitalization and the end-of-life stage; 2) coping during the bereavement stage; and 3) advice for parents and staff. To integrate the results into practice, hospital-wide education for staff on the importance of cultural and spiritual sensitivity is recommended. Additionally, collaboration with spiritual care teams, especially for patients and families facing complex diagnoses or advance care planning, will enhance the provision of culturally and spiritually sensitive care.