Parents' Wishes for What They Had or Had Not Done and Their Coping After Their Infant's or Child's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit/Emergency Department Death.
Carmen Caicedo, Dorothy Brooten, JoAnne M Youngblut and 1 others
PMID 30933014WHAT IT FOUND
Most parents wished they had spent more time with their dying child or had chosen different treatments.
Mothers relied heavily on religious activities for coping, while fathers focused more on self-care. Small practice changes regarding time and communication may help parents.
Key findings
01The most frequent wish for both mothers and fathers was having spent more time with the child before or after death.
02Mothers' most common coping strategies were religious activities, caring for self, and talking about the deceased child.
03Fathers' most common coping strategies were caring for self, religious activities, and remembering the child, though some also avoided thinking about the death.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was heavily skewed toward mothers (70 mothers vs. 26 fathers). The study population was mostly Hispanic, Black, and White non-Hispanic parents from Florida, which may limit transferability to other demographics. Most parents had a high school or some college education, and many were partnered, so findings may not apply to single parents or those with different educational backgrounds. The study relied on self-reported memories and coping strategies, which can be subject to recall bias.
Declared interests
All authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the NIH.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific nursing interventions reduce parental regret or improve coping outcomes. This is a qualitative description of parents' experiences and wishes, not a test of any intervention's efficacy.