Coping strategies of nurses facing pediatric death in oncology units: A qualitative study.

The death of children in healthcare settings, particularly in oncology units, has profound, multifaceted, and emotionally distress impact on nurses. Implementing effective coping strategies is essential not only to improve the nurses' mental well-being but also to enhance the quality of nursing care...

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Publicado en:Journal of Pediatric Nursing Vol. 86; pp. 81 - 90
Autores principales: Abbasi, Soheila, Dehghan Nayeri, Nahid, Koochak Zadeh, Leili, Sadat Hoseini, Akram Sadat
Formato: research Journal Article
Publicado: W B Saunders Jan2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2026
      vid: 86
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      pub: W B Saunders
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1016/j.pedn.2025.10.022
        191143143
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        atl: Coping strategies of nurses facing pediatric death in oncology units: A qualitative study.
      aug:
        au:
          Abbasi, Soheila
          Dehghan Nayeri, Nahid
          Koochak Zadeh, Leili
          Sadat Hoseini, Akram Sadat
        affil: Department of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Education, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
      sug:
        subj:
          Pediatric Oncology Nurses Psychosocial Factors
          Pediatric Oncology Nursing Psychosocial Factors
          Coping Evaluation
          Nurse Attitudes Evaluation
          Childhood Neoplasms Nursing
          Death Psychosocial Factors
          Human
          Child
          Qualitative Studies
          Adaptation, Psychological
          Psychological Distress
          Emotions
          Descriptive Research
          Content Analysis
          Iran
          Purposive Sample
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Open-Ended Questionnaires
          Thematic Analysis
          Avoidance (Psychology)
          Support, Psychosocial
          Spirituality
          Hardiness
          Quality of Nursing Care
          Psychological Well-Being
          Terminal Care Psychosocial Factors
          Job Performance
          Descriptive Statistics
          Child: 6-12 years
      ab: The death of children in healthcare settings, particularly in oncology units, has profound, multifaceted, and emotionally distress impact on nurses. Implementing effective coping strategies is essential not only to improve the nurses' mental well-being but also to enhance the quality of nursing care. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the coping strategies employed by nurses in response to the challenges arising from patient deaths in pediatric oncology units. This descriptive qualitative research utilized a conventional content analysis approach and was conducted in Iran between October 2023 and July 2024. Purposeful sampling was employed, and the process continued until data saturation was reached, which was achieved after 20 interviews. Initially, unstructured interviews and subsequently in-depth, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted to gather information. Data analysis identified one main theme titled "coping". This overarching concept represents the participants' efforts to confront the challenges stemming from the death of their patients. This theme comprises five categories: "positive coping", "emotional expression", "avoidant behaviors", "seeking support", and "spirituality". The findings highlight the diverse and complex coping strategies used by pediatric oncology nurses to deal with patient loss. Gaining a deeper understanding of these coping mechanisms is crucial, as it can support efforts to promote nurses' psychological resilience and improve the quality of patient care. Support from healthcare policymakers and managers in developing tailored psychological, educational, and organizational interventions is essential to strengthen nurses' coping efforts. Such support can enhance the mental well-being of pediatric oncology nurses and ultimately contribute to improved care outcomes for both patients and their families. • The death of children in oncology units has profound and multifaceted effects on nurses. • Confronting the circumstances that arise during the end-of-life care and dying process prompts nurses to adopt coping strategies that can have psychological consequences and affect their professional performance. • Recognizing and supporting nurses' coping efforts can enhance their mental health and improve the quality of care in pediatric oncology.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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