Bereavement is a very traumatic experience for many people including close ones of the diseased, carers, nursing staff, social workers, managers of care homes, pharmacists and so on. All these people may have physical and psychological issues; their condition can affect their social life as well. People become overwhelmed by negative emotions and they become less focused on their professional or private life. It is possible to consider peculiarities of the effects of bereavement on the stakeholders mentioned above and ways to help them.
The condition of the close ones and carers has gained a lot of attention. It has been universally acknowledged that people who lose their close ones are exposed to a set of negative emotions and experiences including depression, anger, disbelief, despair, guilt, and so on (Adult bereavement 2010). People have also understood that support and counseling are the most effective methods to assist these people to cope with their grief (Bereavement: life after being a carer 2008). Various organisations help people to handle bereavement. Healthcare professionals and social workers are also trained to help people to go through this difficult period. George can be seen as an example of this process. The man was depressed when he was at his mother’s bedside. He did not know what to do and how to cope with his mother’s terminal illness and how to balance his time with his mother and his new family. The support team assisted George to cope with the challenges he faced. The man found reconciliation and was ready to go on.
At the same time, it has been stressed that the death of a patient affects nursing staff, social workers, pharmacists, and so on. Rickerson et al. (2005) state that the vast majority of the clinical staff report grief-related symptoms. The condition of the nursing staff worsens when they have to treat patients with terminal illnesses. Nurses often feel depressed, anxiety and they feel overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities (Wilson 2014). Wilson and Kirshbaum (2011) note that this affects social and professional aspects of their life. Thus, nurses as well as other clinical staff often feel compassion fatigue especially when they are exposed to treating terminally ill people. In many cases, nurses become unable to express the same compassion to all patients, their close ones, and carers.
In the case in question, compassion fatigue explains the way the hospital staff treated George. The man did not receive any support (or training from the staff) as the healthcare professionals were already experiencing compassion fatigue. As a result, George was left alone with his grief, which could have various negative effects on him and those around him. Wilson (2014) stresses that training provided to the clinical staff can address this issue and healthcare professionals will be ready to address challenges associated with bereavement and help carers of dying patients to cope with their grief.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that all the stakeholders involved experience a set of negative emotions and can develop physical disorders (heart diseases and so on). Support and training can be effective in addressing these issues. People should have the necessary skills to cope with their grief and be able to assist others. Healthcare professionals should get the necessary training to help carers go through difficult period.
References
Adult bereavement 2010, Web.
Bereavement: life after being a carer 2008, Web.
Rickerson, EM, Somers, C, Allen, CM, Lewis, B, Strumpf, N & Casarett, DJ 2005, ‘How well are we caring for caregivers? Prevalence of grief-related symptoms and need for bereavement support among long-term care staff’, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 227-233.
Wilson, J 2014, Ward staff experiences of patient death in an acute hospital setting, Nursing Standard, vol. 28, no. 37, pp. 37-45.
Wilson, J & Kirshbaum, M 2011, Effects of patient death on nursing staff: a literature review, British Journal of Nursing, vol. 20, no. 9, pp. 559-563.