Supporting Grieving Families: Emotional Impact & Culturally Sensitive Care Thesis

Purpose Statement

The death of a loved one is a deeply personal experience that can have significant emotional and mental impacts on a family. While grief is a natural and universal response to loss, many families struggle to cope with their loss and find the support they need to move forward. The purpose of this research proposal is to examine how offering suitable assistance both before and after a loved one’s passing can help grieving families manage their loss and initiate the healing journey.

The palliative care movement strongly supports bereavement care as an essential part of comprehensive end-of-life care. Sadly, just a minority of hospitals and other medical facilities provide mourning services to the families of all patients who pass away (Morris et al., 2020). The 2019 coronavirus illness pandemic has drawn attention to this void and heightened the public health need for institutions to provide consolation to the families of those who have died (Morris et al., 2020). Consequently, the research intends to address the issue of promoting better patient care and management of expectations within nursing care and public affairs.

Research Questions

1. What are the common psychological and emotional effects of losing a loved one on family members?
2. What kinds of support can be provided to families before and after the death of a loved one to help them cope with their loss?
3. What are the barriers to grieving families’ accessing support?
4. How can individuals and organizations effectively offer support that respects cultural differences and aligns with the unique needs of families from diverse backgrounds?

Methodology

This research will use a qualitative research approach to gather data from participants who have experienced the death of a loved one. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a small sample of participants, approximately 10 to 20, who have experienced the death of a family member within the past three years. The participants will be recruited through social media platforms, support groups for bereaved families, or within the local university community. Since the data collected represents opinions on the subject, it will be analyzed using qualitative data analysis approaches that utilize thematic analysis to identify common themes and tropes within the experience conveyed by the participants.

Expected Outcomes

The outcomes of this research proposal will include a better understanding of the emotional and mental impacts of the death of a loved one on families, as well as the kinds of support that are most helpful for families during this difficult time. The research will also identify barriers to accessing support and provide recommendations for individuals and organizations on how to provide culturally sensitive support to families from different cultural backgrounds.

The death of a close family member is an experience that is difficult to process and recover from. This research proposal aims to explore how providing appropriate support before and after the death of a loved one can help grieving families cope and begin the healing process. The results of this research proposal will provide insights and recommendations for individuals and organizations on how to effectively support families during this difficult time.

Reference

Morris, S. E., Moment, A., & Thomas, J. deL. (2020). Caring for bereaved family members during the COVID-19 pandemic: Before and after the death of a patient. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60(2). Web.