Witnessing a loss and the lived experiences of physicians, nurses, and midwives providing care in perinatal loss in Turkey: A phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND

Perinatal loss is a globally prevalent experience, yet little is known about the lived experiences of physicians, nurses, and midwives involved in perinatal loss care.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of physicians, nurses, and midwives in Turkey who witness and provide care in cases of perinatal loss.

METHODS

The study was designed using an interpretative phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods. A purposive sampling method, a type of non-probability sampling, was employed. The sample consisted of 15 participants, including 5 physicians, 5 nurses, and 5 midwives who had witnessed perinatal loss. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face, in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview form between February and August 2024. Interviews were audio-recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was conducted using an inductive and data-driven approach.

RESULTS

The experiences of the participants were summarized under five themes. The theme "Impact on Personal Life" encompassed emotional intensity, discomfort due to loss, internalizing the sense of loss, and questioning life. The theme "Impact on Professional Life" reflected desensitization to loss, questioning their desire to continue the profession due to negative emotions, avoiding caregiving to escape negative feelings, and exercising greater caution. The feeling of helplessness during caregiving, forming emotional bonds with the baby, dealing with unexpected situations, first experiences, and the occurrence of loss were summarized under the theme "Professional Challenges." Respect for loss, focusing on psychosocial and medical treatment, and effective communication and education were categorized under the theme "Support in the Patient Journey." Attitudes and behaviors developed by healthcare professionals to cope with negative emotions were grouped under the theme "Process Management."

CONCLUSIONS

As this study was conducted in Turkey, its findings are specific to the socio-cultural and clinical context of Turkish perinatal care, and they may not be applicable to other healthcare systems. Participants indicated that clinical intervention is a brief process and that they could not provide support to families in the post-clinical phase. They also stated that men are often overlooked during this period, that they experience emotional challenges while providing care during the loss process, and that they feel inadequate in providing bereavement counseling, education, and care. In this context, it is recommended to support personnel working in this field with training on managing the loss and bereavement process and to establish institutional policies for process management.